Attention Fire Hazard!
Now begins the pre-Christmas season with festive flower arrangements and candles. Unfortunately, candles on Advent decorations are often the cause of house and apartment fires. Candle fires can be easily avoided. The BfB Beratungsstelle für Brandverhütung and the bfu - Beratungsstelle für Unfallverhütung tell how.
© Image montage Markus Frutig from Depositphotos/Aivolie & deposit123
Candles and decorations create a cozy atmosphere during Advent. This also means an increased Fire risk connected. A gently flickering candle can reduce an apartment to rubble within a short time. The statistics show: The risk of fire from candles, matches, etc. increases continuously during Advent. At Christmas alone, there are five times more such fires than on an average day. Most fires caused by candles occur due to carelessness.
Therefore: Before leaving a room, always look back to see if the candles are extinguished. Unattended candles can be tipped over by playing children or pets and Ignite easily combustible objects. In addition, the scrawny brushwood of the Advent wreath or Christmas tree quickly catches fire. For this reason, candles must no longer be lit on a scrawny Advent arrangement or Christmas tree. LED light chains and LED candles are becoming established as a fire-safe alternative. Care must be taken to ensure that sockets are not overloaded and that no additional multiple plugs are attached to multiple plugs.
Beware of snow sprays
Snow sprays often contain as propellant explosive Liquid gas. Therefore, they should only be used with good ventilation and not in the presence of open flames. The instructions on the spray must be followed. If a fire does occur, the fire department must be alerted first in an emergency. Then rescue affected persons and try to extinguish the fire. How a burning Advent wreath can be extinguished is shown by bfu fire expert Roger Schmid in this Video.
Safety tips
The BfB and bfu provide the following safety tips for a fire-free Advent and Christmas season:
- Extinguish candles if they cannot be monitored.
- Do not leave children or pets alone in a room with burning candles.
- Place candles in a stable position on a non-combustible base with sufficient distance to textiles, decorations and other combustible materials.
- Ensure a firm, upright hold of the candles on the Advent wreath and Christmas tree.
- Replace candles before they burn down, e.g. two finger widths above the Advent wreath.
- Never burn dry Advent arrangements in the fireplace, but dispose of them.
- Keep a bucket of water or fire blanket on hand for emergencies.
More info
BfB Consulting Center for Fire Prevention
bfu - Advisory Council for Accident Prevention
