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SARATOGA SPRINGS — In the United States, fire departments respond on average to a fire every 25 seconds for a total of more than 1.2 million fires every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
The holidays are peak times for home fires because of all the heat sources in homes like space heaters, candles and fireplaces, and that could mean trouble next to a dry Christmas tree.
The Saratoga Springs Fire Department held a live fire demonstration in a burn house Thursday night to help show families how to stay safe.
Firefighters from Saratoga Springs, Lehi and Spanish Fork got to feel the fire up close, watch its different stages and understand fire.
"This is just priceless for us to be able to actually have active fire and to be able to have our personnel engaging,” said Saratoga Springs Fire Department Chief Jess Campbell.
If a Christmas tree catches fire, it can become completely engulfed in flames in seconds.
"We forget that we have children running around about our waist and our knees and are curious," said Campbell. "This is a beautiful, wonderful time of year. Do everything you can to be mindful of those things."
Here are a few safety tips to help protect your home and family:
- Use extreme caution with space heaters, which cause many fires during the cold months
- Water your live Christmas tree often and keep it away from heat sources
- Check Christmas lights for melted or damaged wires
- Cooking fires lead to two out of five house fires, so be cautious around the stove, and keep children away
- Come up with a fire escape plan and practice it with your family
- Get fire extinguishers for every floor and test your smoke detectors
