Public Information Office 210 S. McDonald Street Suite 626 McKinney, Texas 75069 www.collincountytx.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 15, 2005

Collin County offers holiday safety tips

(McKinney, TX) - Collin County residents are encouraged to put safety first this holiday season. So, the Collin County Fire Marshal's Office is offering the following safety tips.

Lit Christmas trees should never be left unattended; and electrical outlets should not be overloaded. It can take only a matter of seconds for a live tree to catch fire and destroy an entire room. During the holidays, people tend to burn a lot of candles. Candles should also not be left unattended. Candles combined with additional decorations can become a fire hazard.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, fires occurring during the holiday season injure 2,600 individuals and cause over $930 million in damage each year. These are a few recommendations from the USFA:

• Selecting a Tree for the Holiday
  Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.
• Caring for Your Tree
  Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
• Disposing of Your Tree
  Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or woodburning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Fireworks go on sale December 20th. Collin County has not placed a restriction on fireworks.

"During this time of year, it is typically dry and most of the vegetation is dormant and easily ignitable, "says Fire Marshal Steve Deffibaugh. "Usually, we don't see near the amount of fireworks being discharged as we do during the Fourth of July fireworks season. I have seen more fires started from unsupervised children discharging non-aerial fireworks than aerial fireworks, this time of year."

"Anytime anyone discharges fireworks, they should always do so with caution to insure the safety of others and property."

A good resource for fire safety during the holidays is the USFA website, www.usfa.fema.gov.

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