Holiday cooking, Christmas trees, candles and holiday
decorations significantly contribute to the seasonal causes of
home fires, said Kentucky State Fire Marshal Bill Swope,
director of the state Division of Fire Prevention. “The holiday
season can remain festive and fun by taking preventative steps
and following simple rules of thumb to prevent home fires,” said
Swope. “My advice is to stay in your kitchen while cooking,
consider using flameless candles and follow the rules for
placing and lighting your Christmas tree.” Swope said that most
cooking fires involve the stovetop so keep anything that can
catch fire away from it, turn off the stove when you leave the
kitchen — even if it’s for a short period of time – and use a
timer to remind you that you’re cooking. December is the peak
month for home candle fires, according to the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) and Swope recommends giving
flameless candles a try. “But if you use traditional candles,
keep them at least 12 inches away from anything