The City of Lethbridge Fire Department's headquarters at 207 4th Avenue South (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Local fire crews preach safety over the holidays

Dec 18, 2019 | 12:01 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Christmas is a time to celebrate with family, not to put out fires.

With that, the City of Lethbridge’s fire department is offering up some safety tips so everyone can have a safe and happy holiday season.

“History has shown in the past that [during the] Christmas season, everyone’s being merry [and] having a great time, but there’s always a risk for fires. With the amount of decorations and stuff we put in our homes, that just adds to that risk,” said Troy Hicks, Fire Prevention Officer and Educator.

Hicks noted that cooking usually comes along with the holidays and with that brings an extra risk of fire in the home. He said it’s important to always pay attention when cooking and keep a “safety area” around the stove.

“Kids are excited, they want to help mom and dad at Christmas time. Keep a metre clearance around your stove, don’t let them near it and have a fire extinguisher in your home,” he said.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

“Have a lid beside you when you’re cooking. If something ever happens, you can very quickly cover it, turn the burner off or move it off the burner and be safe.”

He added that baking soda can also be used to put out a grease fire on the stove.

Hicks said that candles can also be a cause of fires over the holiday season. However, spreading awareness has helped decrease the amount of candle-caused fires crews respond to.

“We recommend now for people to use flameless candles. They look just as nice; you can also get them that they’re scented for your holiday smells.”

When it comes to setting up and maintaining your Christmas tree, Hicks said it’s important to make sure a fake tree is well taken care of and not falling apart. Artificial trees should also be kept away from heat sources like candles or space heaters.

“As for a real tree, make sure they’re watered. [It’s] unbelievably important how they have to be watered daily. Don’t keep a real tree for too long. Once the Christmas season is over, dispose of it properly. If you keep it watered, that minimizes the risk of a fire happening with the tree and same thing [with] heat sources – keep everything at least one metre away,” he said.

Hicks said they’ve been fortunate to not have had to respond to any major fires over the holidays in Lethbridge in the past few years.

“We’re getting the education thing out by doing interviews like this, people start to pay attention more and people are being safer.”

SAFE EXIT STRATEGY

Hicks noted the importance of having a safe exit plan in your home in case a fire does break out.

“Practice it with your family and pay attention when you’re setting up your decorations. I know everyone just wants more and more and more for decorations, [but] don’t be blocking exits, don’t be blocking your paths to your stairwells, your front door, back door. Just keep it [decorations] all safe and all to the side so it looks nice, but heaven forbid something does happen, you can get out.”

ELECTRICAL FIRES

“Electrical fires are huge. We do have a lot of them here in the city throughout the year. When you’re using Christmas decorations outside, make sure you’re using outdoor cords, make sure you’re not overloading your outlets outside,” Hicks said.

“For using any lights or electrical devices inside, power bars are the safest thing to use. Once again, they don’t allow you to overload the circuit – to create that heat. So, use a power bar, make sure you’re checking your electrical devices, your lights if the wires are getting frayed or the plastic sheeting is getting broken – replace them.”

He added that residents should always make sure their electronics are working properly, especially devices like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.