Christmas means a lot of extra cooking including preparing the traditional turkey. With so much extra cooking going on it is important to take extra precautions to keep people and property safe.

Many people will cook turkeys in deep fryers and that has led to some serious fires and burns in the past. When deep-frying a turkey think about the surrounding and the environment in case of an accident, said Pratt Fire Chief David Kramer.

Every year thousands of people suffer fire and electrical injuries during the Christmas season. Everyone needs to practice safety to help prevent accidents.

Every year people drag out the Christmas lights to decorate the tree and the house. Lights can be an electrical hazard, especially older lights, so they should be checked for worn or exposed wire. Newer light strings have a built in fuse that helps prevent shocks, overloads and potential fires, Kramer said.

“Get out the string of lights and make sure they are sound and in good working condition before installing them on homes or trees,” Kramer said.

Exterior lights should also be inspected and care taken to prevent moisture around outdoor outlets and extension cords.

Besides lights, other decorations require electricity and that requires extension cords. Some extension cords are only needed for decorations and don’t get used much but they can still get worn and create a fire hazard. They should be examined before and during use.

Avoid putting too many items on one extension cord. The cords can over heat and can be a potential fire or shock hazard. The outside ambient temperature helps keep outdoors cords cool but heat inside can build up and cause a problem.

Use short extension cords wherever possible and use LED lighting to help reduce electrical load, Kramer said.

Cords can also be a trip hazard so avoid placing them in traffic areas and never put extension cords under rugs or carpets.

“Extension cords can heat up under rugs and carpets. If the heat builds up it can cause a fire,” Kramer said.

Another potential fire hazard is candles. Candles are the leading cause of home fires anyway but during the holiday season their use multiplies and it becomes an extreme hazard.

When placing candles always look around and above where the candle will be to avoid placing them where they could cause a fire. Never use them near any combustible material.

“You really need to be aware of the candle’s surroundings,” Kramer said.

Never leave a candle burning unattended. Always put the candles out when leaving the house or when the family is sleeping.

Some families use real trees and they can be a serious fire hazard as well. Always keep the tree well watered and keep it away from fireplaces and candles. 

Double check electrical lights on real trees for worn areas that could get hot and start a fire.

Christmas trees burn fast and hot. In a live tree fire demonstration, it took just 100 seconds for the burning tree to raise the room temperature to 1,200 degrees.

Don’t keep real trees for too long. It is best to dispose of the tree as soon after Christmas as possible.

After the presents are opened avoid burning the paper in a stove or fire place. Wrapping paper develops a much higher temperature than stoves and fireplaces are rated to handle so dispose of the paper by normal means and avoid burning.