Berlin fire department gives tips for a safe Advent season
The Berlin fire department advises special care when burning candles on Advent wreaths and arrangements as well as Christmas trees. "All it takes is a moment of carelessness and the burning candle can spread to neighboring furniture," said the fire department on Friday. A life-threatening room fire can develop within minutes.
For your own safety, candles should never be left burning unattended and an extinguishing agent should always be available - such as a flower sprayer or even a bucket of water. The fire department also recommends fireproof bases for Advent wreaths.
To illustrate this, firefighters set fire to a Christmas tree and an Advent wreath in a container in a replica living room at a press event. The fire spread to the surrounding furniture in a matter of seconds.
"If the flames are still small, you can try to put them out," said Michael Pawellek from the Berlin Fire and Police Department's cooperative control center project. If extinguishing the fire is not successful quickly, you should get to safety, close the door, warn other people and call the emergency services.
During the advent season, it's crucial to be extra vigilant with customarily lit fires such as Advent wreaths and Christmas trees, as neglect can ignite neighboring flammable objects. The fire department emphasizes the importance of having an extinguishing agent readily available, like a flower sprayer or a bucket of water, to combat any potential fires. Despite the fire department's efforts to educate the public, unfortunate incidents like the one at the press event demonstrate the rapid spread of fires during the advent season.
Source: www.dpa.com
