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December 18, 2003FIRE SAFETY: Don't let candles spark a tragedyMaking fire prevention a holiday traditionByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Mike and Terri Schmerl never thought they'd fall victim to a major fire. "My husband is an electrician; fire safety is at the forefront of my mind," Terri Schmerl said. "We turn off lights, we watch the cords, everything."
Her cats had knocked over a candle and sparked a house fire. Intense heat melted one fire detector 25 feet away from the ignition point and the house received extensive smoke and water damage. Unattended candles and equipment malfunction are the most common causes of holiday fires, said Grand Traverse Fire Prevention Education Officer Jim Carroll. "Never leave candles alone," Carroll said. "If you leave the room, blow the candle out; they are always easy to restart." Until Terri Schmerl told Cindy Anderson of Traverse City about the fire, Anderson said she used to light up her whole house with candles. "Now our biggest rule is we don't leave a room with a candle still burning," Anderson said. In December 2002, Michigan fire departments reported 329 fires caused by unattended cooking, Christmas trees, decorative lighting and candles. Those fires resulted in one death, 34 injuries and $2.7 million in property losses. People must be attentive to fire safety during the holiday season and wintertime in general, Carroll said. Keep trees fresh and watered and don't put them next to heat sources. "We wrestled with putting up a real tree in front of the floor register," said Linda Nichols of Hersey, as she shopped in downtown Traverse City. "So we ended up getting an artificial tree instead." Lights and cords need to be checked for frayed wires and insulation, fire prevention experts say. Don't overload outlets, Carroll said. They are intended for two plugs. Put extension cords high, not where they will be walked on, and never under rugs or carpets. Outdoors, use grounded cords rated for outdoor use. Beware of turkey fryers. Most are not UL listed. "You are putting a fire under flammable liquid, heating it up to boiling," Carroll said. Don't use them inside, in garages or on porches, he recommended. If traveling, unplug all the appliances and shut off lights. Though off, appliance cords are still energized. Unplugging reduces the fire hazard and protects from power surges, experts said. "As for smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, you should have as many as you can afford and as many as you can put up," Carroll said. Mike Schmerl credits interlinked smoke detectors with saving his wife's life. When the upstairs detector went off, it tripped the basement detector, which alerted his wife. "A lot of houses don't have an egress window in the basement, they just have one way out," he said. "She could have been trapped." Interlinked detectors are code in new houses, but older homes can be retrofitted. Carroll advised families, especially those with children, to hold regular fire drills. Research has shown children who don't practice drills take too long to get out. If you're in the mood for a Christmas morning chimney fire, burn the wrapping paper in your fireplace, said chimney sweep Bill Osborn. "If there is creosote, there's no better way to start one," he said. Osborn and Carroll both agree the most important measure to prevent chimney fires is to have them professionally inspected and cleaned.
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