Most people associate December with fun and celebration. But according to statistics, the month of Christmas is also the worst month of the year in terms of the number of building fires in the country. The fire association has several pieces of advice.
- With December, the risk of fire increases and we are in the middle of the home fire season, warns CEO Rolf Søtorp of the Norwegian Fire Protection Association.
Now he is asking all households in the country to put fire safety in high place in the coming weeks, both before and during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
In short, this means that we must all take precautions to avoid the fire traps that are typical of the month of Christmas, emphasizes Søtorp.
Examples of such fire traps.
Examples of such fire traps are, first of all, the careless use of candles and hobs when cooking on the stove. Misuse of electrical equipment and excessive use of extension cords are other common fire traps that we must avoid.
Dry cooking and dry frying in the kitchen are carried out all year round and such incidents lead to additional calls of the fire department in December. According to Søtorp, installing a cooker hood is an effective measure to prevent fires and outbreaks when cooking in the kitchen.
- From July 2010, a stove guard is required for all new homes. This requirement also applies to older homes if a new course has been set for the stove. We believe that everyone should have a cooker cover in the kitchen, regardless of the age of the house, emphasizes Søtorp.
Candles have long been one of the most common causes of fires
Careless use of candles has long been one of the most common causes of domestic fires. Celebrations of Advent, Christmas and New Years contribute to the sharp increase in the number of candles in December. Candles create coziness and a good atmosphere, but are also often the cause of fire.
- The number one rule in order not to give up candles is that the person who lights the candle also takes responsibility for putting it out. Candles must also be placed in candlesticks of non-flammable material and stand on a non-flammable surface, emphasizes Søtorp.
Candles must also be kept at a sufficient distance from flammable materials such as curtains and not near drafts. For fire safety reasons, Søtorp believes that LED lights can be a good alternative to candles.
The leader of the fire association admits that it can be difficult to fully protect a home from fire. Therefore, it asks all households to exercise extreme caution to ensure that there are smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in the house.
- If you have several smoke detectors that are required in homes on two floors, connect them in series so that they signal at the same time, emphasizes Søtorp.
Source: Data from the Civil Protection and Crisis Planning Directorate (DSB) for the last five years show that there are more fires in December and January than in the rest of the year. There are more fires in buildings and in December there are more fires due to stoves than the average.
Source: Norsk Brannvernforeningen
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