Holiday safety: 5 tips for preventing electrical fires

A Winnipeg safety expert is warning people to be careful with the space heaters, Christmas lights and other electric gadgets that are being plugged in at this time of year.

Electrical and mechanical failure resulted in 674 fires, 30 injuries and four fatalities in Manitoba in 2011, according to Manitoba's Office of the Fire Commissioner.

And with the holiday season getting underway, there's a heightened risk of fires given all the devices we plug in to stay warm and brighten up the home.

"Electrical in the winter is a major issue for us firefighters. Usually that's one of our biggest causes for the fire," Carmen Ready, a fire equipment specialist with ABC Fire & Safety, told CBC News on Friday.

Here are some tips on keeping your abode safely warm over the holiday season and beyond:

1. Inspect your electrical cords.

This includes indoor cords, such as the ones for Christmas lights, and outdoor electrical cords used to plug in your vehicle.

"You're inspecting it as you're pulling it through and you're making sure there's no frays, no parts that are melted, nothing where the inside cords are showing," Ready said.

She added that electrical cords should not be knotted up, and the prongs are straight so they'll plug in properly.

Also, be sure to grab electrical plugs by the base, not by the cord, when plugging them in or pulling them out.

2. Check the electrical outlets in your home.

Just as important as checking your electrical cords is checking the outlets that they plug into.

"You want to make sure that there's no burn marks, char marks around your outlet," Ready said.

3. Use space heaters responsibly.

If you're using a space heater inside your home, look it over to make sure nothing has slipped in that can burn when the heater is plugged in and turned on.

Ready said make sure there is nothing within a metre of the space heater when it's running.

"The heat that it generates is pretty hot," she said.

Be sure to inspect the space heater's electrical cord to make sure it's not frayed or melted.

Finally, Ready said you should always unplug your space heater whenever you're not home.

4. Take care of your Christmas tree.

To avoid having your real Christmas tree burst into flames, keep it watered regularly and carefully inspect the lights for any frayed cords.

"The tree [fire] goes up so fast," Ready said.

"It gets into the curtains really fast and in no time this will be engulfed in flames. And the fires do spread double every 30 seconds."

5. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Ready said people should always keep a working fire extinguisher handy, and know how to use it properly.

In the event you do have to put out a fire, aim the extinguisher's hose at the base of the blaze.

Ready added that people should make sure their smoke detectors are working properly.