Fire Dangers Over Holidays

According to the National Fire Incident Report, almost 20 percent of fires start in the kitchen from using cooking appliances.Although the Columbia Fire Department said they didn’t respond to any major house fires on Christmas, they want to remind people to be careful, especially those who are cooking or using their stoves to stay warm.”If you have long sleeves, or anything of that matter that could get into an open flame, an element on an electric stove, try to keep those things away,” said Chief Brad Frazier.Fire crews say they also see a spike in fires around this season, more than any other time of the year.”There are a lot of distractions around the holidays, but even leaving hot water boiling unattended for just a few minutes could cause a house fire,” said Frazier.As the colder temperatures approach, many people are using space heaters, and their ovens to keep warm.Some general ways fire experts said will help prevent house fires is to pay attention to the small things. For instance, unplugging appliances overnight, such as a space heater.