University Fire Marshal shares holiday fire safety tips

Dwain Archer, the UofL Fire Marshal, reminds faculty, staff and students to observe the following fire safety suggestions before leaving on holiday vacation.

• Please do not decorate more than 33 percent of room doors and walls with decorative combustibles
• Do not hang decorations on exit doors, ceilings, sprinkler heads, fire safety equipment, or hand railings
• Do not run electrical wire between or beneath door jambs as this wire pinching may create excessive heat and cause a fire
• Cut Christmas trees, hay bales, or other dried vegetation are prohibited for use inside university buildings
• Use only electrical equipment including extension cords and Christmas tree lights, and other equipment  that bears Underwriters Laboratory (UL) approval tags or other recognized test laboratory designations
• Before leaving for the holidays disconnect space heaters, decorative lights, personal coffee pots, battery chargers, and other non-essential energy consuming appliances
• Unblock exit paths in rooms, offices, and hallways and have no longer needed furniture and equipment picked up by Surplus Property. 
• Lower office temperature thermostats to the holiday setting of 55◦F
• At Home: Remember to install fresh batteries in each of your smoke detectors; there should be a smoke detector in each bedroom.  Inspect your fire extinguisher and shake up the caked powder inside
• Attempt to open bedroom windows to ensure that they have not been inadvertently painted shut
• Water your live Christmas tree frequently
• A wise man once said, “There are two things you should never leave unattended, those being newly poured concrete that needs to be leveled out before it dries; and food on the stove during its cooking process”

For questions or comments, please contact Dwain Archer at 852-3473. or visit the Fire Safety website. 

Photo provided by Wikimedia.