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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
December 10, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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December 10, 2020
 
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r__ Page A—1 6 - Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 How to decorate while ,stayingfire-safe By Kirk Boxleitner kbox/eitner@masoncounty. com The first responders at Central Mason Fire & EMS and the North Mason Region- al Fire Authority (NMRFA) want county residents to cel- ebrate the holidays safely, starting with their decora- tions. “Festive lights and can-, dles can bring a lot of cheer, but more than half of home decoration fires in Decem- ber are started by candles,” NMRFA Emergency Preven— tion Specialist Lacey New— man said. “It’s imperative to keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything flammable.” Home decorators should follow .manufacturers’ in- structions when stringing electriéf‘ lights I around your home, Newman added. “And check the individual lights themselves,” said Cen- tral Mason Fire Chief Mike Patti, who’s also fire marshal for Shelton. “It’s not a bad idea to buy new lights, be— cause stuffing your old lights back in a box can damage them. You also shouldn’t con- nect more than two strings of light together, to avoid over- loading the circuit.” Newman agreed that electric light strands should be inspected before they’re hung each year, and any light strands with frayed or pinched wires should be thrown away, just as Patti warned against leaving in any broken bulbs or ignoring any open light sockets on a string. “And whether you’re leav- ing your home or going to sleep for the evening, don’t forget to turn off and unplug your lights,” Newman said. ‘ Although surge suppres- sor extension cords tend to include multiple outlets, Patti urged exercising simi- lar caution, comparing outlet capacity to a pickup truck’s flatbed space. “Just because you might have six open outlets on an extension cord doesn’t mean you want plugs in all six out— lets,” Patti said. “Even if you have a big bed on your pick— up, you don’t want to fill it all the way with gravel.” V While Christmas tree fires are less common than candle fires, they remain a threat. “Due to the large amount of fuel that a Christmas tree provides, these fires tend to grow and spread rapidly in a home,” Newman said. “Keep your tree at least 3 feet away from heat sources'such as fireplaces, space heaters, candles and heat vents.” Both Newman and Patti stressed the importance of keeping Christmas trees properly watered, by plac- ing the base of its cut trunk in a reservoir of water that’s replenished at least every day, and dispensing with the treeas soon as possible af- ter Christmas, or as soon as it begins to lose its needles, whichever comes first. Newman underscored the warning of a dried—out tree by pointing out how quickly a dry tree can catch fire. Newman expanded her own warning by noting how often holiday home decora- tors place their stockings and other flammable holiday décor too close to their fire- places or wood stoves, reit- erating that ’all flammable materials should be at least 3 feet away from any heat source, including candles. “Battery-operated flame- less candles can look, smell and feel like real candles, without the serious fire threat that an open flame presents,” Newman said. “If at all possible, switch to bat- tery-operated candles, but if you do use lit candles, make ‘ sure they are in stable can- dle-holders, where they can’t be knocked down easily.” Both Newman and Patti offered the same fire safety advice for Christmas dinners as they had for Thanksgiv— mg: I Ensure your burners and oven are clean before you start cooking because the residue of food and grease on the stovetop or in the oven increases the risk of kitchen fires. I If you have a pan fire, put it out quickly by sliding a lid over the pan, turning the burner off and letting the pan cool. If you have baking soda nearby, pour baking soda into the pan, then place . the lid back on top of the pan. I If a fire starts in the oven, turn the ovenoff and SHEL'I‘ON~MASON COUNTY C H. A M, B E R F COMMERCE HOLIDAY LIGHT COMPETITION 'KEEPING SPIRITS BRIGHT' W’herc to “find the magic: 71 E Agate D17 [SA 352?. l3". Agate Rd 4.1.00 12‘. Agate Rd. 2.661 til-I AI‘L‘LuliJ Rd 50 SE Arcadia. Rd 1 011 B :1. y v icw Ave keep the door closed. After an oven fire, have your oven professionally serviced be- fore using again. When it comes to deep-fry- ing a’turkey for the occasion, Patti’s. advice was simple: “Don’t,” he said. Newman said turkey fry- ers can easily tip over. If you insist on deep-frying your turkey, she urged that you only do so on a sturdy, level surface, located a safe distance from anything that might be flammable, with a minimum 3-foot “kid and pet—free zone” around the fryer to protect against burn injuries. Newman added that an overfilled cooking pot will likewise cause oil to spill when the turkey is placed in- side, inviting another major burn and fire risk. j _- “Try placing the.:tiirkey..in the pot with water first, so you know exactly how much oil will be needed before you start heating things. up to cook,” Newman said. “It’s important that your turkey is completely thawed before you fry it, because a partially frozen turkey will cause hot oil to splatter, and increase your risk of unintentionally setting a fire.” Check the temperature frequently with a cooking thermometer so the oil won’t overheat. . 1,118 Ellinor Ave 52 2. N Th i rd 5.} t 2.451 F; 8:; And rev Dr 726 Sunset (It: 51.1 N La kc View Dr 201. 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