As the holiday week begins, fire officials share important safety hazards to keep in mind, mostly because house fires happen more in the winter than any other season.
Earlier this month, Catonsville saw a woman die in a house fire. Days later, another person was killed in a Mount Vernon apartment fire. The causes remain under investigation.
"One life lost in a fire is too much," Media Masters Consulting founder and principal consultant Kevin Cartwright said.
Cartwright said there are actions folks can take now to prevent a tragedy. He spent more than 30 years in the fire service industry as a paramedic, firefighter and public information officer. He's encountered the catastrophic damage fires can cause, especially this time of year, when people come together to celebrate the holiday.
"Unfortunately, some of these things can be fire hazards," Cartwright said.
To start, he said to keep candles at least 12 inches from any combustible materials. For those using a space heater, it should be three feet away from those materials.
"Oftentimes the draperies, or the bedspread, clothing, even a chair can actually ignite because you don't always need an open flame for combustible material to ignite," Cartwright said.
He warns to never use the stove to warm a home due to fire and possibly carbon monoxide poisoning risks. He also said if people have a live Christmas tree, it is vital to keep it watered properly, otherwise the thistles can dry out, and those lights on the tree can be enough to ignite a fire.
For those lights and other festive items that need to be plugged in, make sure the extension cord is UL-certified.
"They run them under carpets and things like that, and as people walk across them, the plastic becomes frayed, and it'll expose the copper wires, which transmit heat as current is going through that extension cord. So, we want to try and avoid that," Cartwright said.
Also, always plan ahead to stop a fire before it starts.
"We certainly encourage people during this season and always, most importantly, to have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and make sure you have a home evacuation plan that everyone in your house is familiar with," Cartwright said.