GOOD Home is a biweekly column published in partnership with PuroClean of Wilton | Ridgefield about home safety, maintenance, weather preparedness, and damage prevention, with the goal of saving homeowners from the hassle and headaches of severe property damage. Located in south Wilton (24 Danbury Rd., Suite 204), PuroClean provides 24/7 water damage remediation, fire and smoke restoration, and mold and biohazard removal services to the Fairfield County community and across southwest CT and Northeastern Westchester County.
Did you know there were holiday light hazards even in the early 19th century? German-speaking immigrants in America began decorating and erecting Christmas trees, a custom that quickly gained popularity among holiday-goers. A popular method of tree decoration was utilizing candles. These were challenging to handle until Frederick Artz created the clip-on candle holder in 1878.
But flames and parched trees did not mix well, as you can imagine. In those days, wise people would keep buckets of water and sand close by and the candles would only be lit for brief periods of time. Yet because unintentional Christmas tree fires were so common, insurance companies stopped paying for fires caused by candlelight.
Then Edward Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison and vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company, created the first electrically illuminated Christmas lights for his own tree in 1882. However, typical Americans couldn’t afford the setup. Nevertheless, Edison and Johnson were so impressed that they spent eight years experimenting to come up with a product that could be sold before they finally developed Edison Miniature Lamps for Christmas Trees. Additionally, they’ve undergone numerous enhancements over time.
So, your Fairfield or Westchester County home is now safe from fire damage from Christmas lights, right? Well, no. The National Institute of Standards and Technology estimates that Christmas trees are involved in 210 home fires in the United States yearly. It might not seem like much but on average those fires result in six fatalities, 16 injuries, and $16.2 million in property fire damage each year. Electric lights, candles, fireplaces and radiators placed too close to trees are among the heat sources that cause about 25% of those fires. So it’s important to keep Christmas trees safe.
How to Prevent Fire Damage Holiday Light Hazards This Holiday
In your Fairfield or Westchester County home, heed these safety tips and advice as you start decorating to prevent fire damage from these common holiday light hazards:
- Examine every wire and light. Don’t use frayed or bare wires, tighten or replace loose connections, and replace broken sockets. Exchange burned-out bulbs only with those with identical watts.
- Use only lights authorized by ETL Semko (Intertek) or UL (Underwriters Laboratory).
- A ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) should be connected to every electrical decoration outside. If electricity comes into contact with water, which is easily possible when exposed to the elements, this device cuts the power.
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with LED ones. Not only do they burn cooler but according to the U.S. Department of Energy, they’re about 75% more efficient. Also, don’t use the same wiring for LEDs and incandescent lights. Connecting incandescent and LED lights together could result in LED strings overheating and burning because incandescent lights require a higher power current.
- When hanging lights, never use metal fasteners like tacks, staples, or nails. These may cause wiring damage. Wires that are exposed to metal can produce enough heat to ignite a fire and pose a risk of electrocution.
- Before going to bed at night, turn off all lights. (You won’t be able to see them anyway because you and the majority of your neighbors in Fairfield or Westchester County will be asleep. 😊).
- And never, ever use candles to decorate Christmas trees!
If a Fire Does Break Out because of Holiday Light Hazards
No matter how hard you try to be safe, accidents can happen and your home in Fairfield or Westchester County area could suffer from fire damage. We hope that never occurs, but if it does give PuroClean of Wilton | Ridgefield fire disaster specialists a call. PuroClean has been the preferred business for all kinds of disaster restoration for over 20 years. We will promptly return your home to normal because we not only understand what you’ve been through but our technicians are licensed and certified in all areas of fire and smoke damage restoration. Look us up on Linkedin, Facebook or Instagram; call us at 475.277.2400; or email us.
