Holiday Fire Safety

Each year fires occurring during the holiday season injure 2,600 individuals and cause over $930 million dollars in damage nationally. Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) reminds you to remember these simple life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday season.

Candles
- December is the peak month for candle fires.
- Always use candle sticks or non flammable holders.
- Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.

Electric Decorations
- Cords and plugs are the leading type of equipment involved in the ignition of Christmas trees.
- Any string lights with worn, frayed or broken cords or loose bulbs should not be used.
- Always unplug tree lights before leaving home or going to sleep.

Cooking
- Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S..
- When cooking for holiday visitors, remember to keep an eye on the range.
- If you must leave the kitchen while preparing food, set a timer or carry a pot holder to remind you that food is cooking.

Christmas Trees
- Keep your tree away from fireplaces, portable and baseboard heaters.
- Try to keep fresh cut trees as moist as possible by giving them plenty of water each day.
- Dispose of fresh-cut trees before becoming dry to the extent
that needles are falling and the color is fading.

TFD Media Release - Recovery Operation

Incident Date: 12/2/09
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke 253.255.3260
Incident Type: Body Recovery
Incident Location: 6100 Block of North Levee Rd, Fife WA

Narrative: At 8.32 a.m. Wednesday December 3rd 2009, Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) and Central Pierce Fire and Rescue (CPFR) units responded to a reported body in the water in the Puyallup River.

First arriving units confirmed that there was an unidentified body lodged in a wooden snag area approximately 15 feet from the bank. CPFR Swift Water Rescue Team and the Pierce County Sheriff's Department Dive Team were called to recover the body during this multi-jurisdictional response. Fife Police Department continues as the lead agency for this incident and will release any additional details as they become available.

Thanksgiving Safety Reminder

Thanksgiving is the peek day for home cooking fires across the nation. According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. firefighters responded to roughly 1,300 home fires involving cooking equipment on Thanksgiving 2007. The Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) would like to encourage you to add the following cooking safety tips to your Thanksgiving recipes this holiday.

Cook with Caution
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Keep all combustibles away from the cooking devices.
• Keep children away from the cooking areas to reduce the risk of burns and fires.
• Do not wear clothing with loose sleeves while cooking.
• Ensure that you have a fire extinguisher and a working smoke alarm on each level of your home.
• Remember to handle, prepare and cook food safely.

Finally, check out the following information from the Underwriters Laboratory regarding deep fat frying turkeys and turkey fryers. There are so many hazards related to these devices, the UL won’t certify any turkey fryers for use and TFD strongly recommends you do not use them.

TFD Media Release - Rope Rescue

Incident Date: 11/19/09
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke 253.255.3260
Incident Type: High-Angle Rope Rescue
Incident Location: 4500 -5000 block of Marine View Drive near Herron Ridge Dr NE

Narrative: At 10:17 a.m. Thursday November 19th 2009, Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) responded to a reported vehicle over an embankment in the Herron Ridge area off of Marine View Drive in North East Tacoma.

After assessing the location of the vehicle, the first arriving companies quickly called for a technical rescue operation. Approximately 21 firefighters and command staff conducted a High-Angle Rope Rescue (due to the very steep slope) using a Stokes Stretcher to rescue one patient from the vehicle.

The patient was transported to a local area hospital.

Focus on Fire Safety - Home Heating Equipment

According to the National Fire Protection Association home heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January and February, In fact in 2006, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 64,100 reported U.S. home structure fires, with associated losses of 540 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian injuries, and $943 million in direct property damage. Given these sobering statistics, the Tacoma Fire Department encourages you to check your heating systems and watch how you heat as winter approaches.
Chimneys
Make sure your fireplace and wood stove have a clean chimney.
Portable Heaters
Remember, keep combustibles three feet from the heat.
Furnaces
An annual inspection is key.
Barbeque's and carbon monoxide poisoning
Never use a barbecue indoors for heating due to winter storms and extended power outages.

Residential Structure Fire

Incident Date: 10/29/09
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke 253.573.2588
Incident Type: Residential Structure Fire
Incident Location: 2329 South “L” Street
Probable Cause: Curling Iron
Damages: $75,000
Injuries: None

Narrative: At 6:04 a.m. Thursday October 29th 2009, 7 companies of Tacoma Firefighters – 5 Engines, 1 Ladder, and 1 Medic Unit responded to a reported residential structure fire at 2329 South “L” Street. The first arriving units found smoke and flames showing from a second floor bedroom.

Crews attacked the fire with hand lines, conducted primary search and rescue and used a Thermal Imaging Camera to check for fire extension and hot spots once they had the main fire contained. The occupants (2 adults & 4 children) escaped unharmed and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

UPDATE: Fire investigators have determined that the cause of the fire was a curling iron next to combustible materials, resulting in an estimated $75,000 damage to the building and its contents.

Smoke Alarms...

Tacoma Fire Department would like to remind everyone to take a few moments to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms this weekend.

Smoke alarms most often fail because of missing, dead or disconnected batteries, so maintenance is a simple and effective way to protect your family and reduce home fire deaths.

According to the Washington State Fire Marshal, 82 percent of fire deaths in our State occur in homes without working smoke alarms and the peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. - when most families are sleeping.

For best protection, it is recommended that people install alarms utilizing both (ionization and photoelectric) technology and ones that have long life 10 year lithium ion batteries.

Visit the United States Fire Administration and National Fire Protection Association for additional information regarding smoke alarm types, installation, maintenance and safety.