State Fire Marshal issues tips for fire safety during holiday season

State Fire Marshal issues tips for fire safety during holiday season

The National Fire Protection Association reports that more than two of every five home decoration fires occur due to decorations being placed too close to a heat source. More than one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles.

The NFPA also reports that U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 780 home structure fires per year that began with decorations between 2013-2017.

More than half of home decoration fires in December are started by candles. Candle fires peak in December followed closely by January. The top three days for home candle fires are Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Before you head to bed or out for the evening, make sure to extinguish all lit candles, the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal wrote in a press release.

“The holidays are here and that means many will be decorating their homes. Hanging up decorations is fun, but keep in mind, holiday decorations can increase your risk for a home fire,” Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez said in a statement. “It’s important to follow and practice fire safety measures so that you and your family can enjoy a festive and fire-safe holiday season.”

This year, OSFM will once again be hosting the Keep the Wreath Red Campaign at offices in Springfield and Chicago, along with at the Quinn Fire Academy in Chicago and the Illinois Fire Service Institute in Champaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of fire safety during the holiday season (Dec. 1 through Jan. 2). Unfortunately, OSFM wrote, last year 17 lives were lost in fire-related incidents during the holiday season in Illinois.

The “Keep the Wreath Red” campaign began in 1954 in Naperville to raise awareness about holiday fire safety. Wreaths will be placed and lit with red bulbs outside of the OSFM offices in Springfield and at the Thompson Center in Chicago. White light bulbs will replace the red bulbs when a fire-related death is reported in the state.


“The goal of the campaign is to strive for zero fire-related deaths during the holiday season,” Perez said.

With that in mind, here are some tips to stay fire safe when celebrating the holiday season:

• Be careful with holiday decorations. Make sure decorations are either flame retardant or flame resistant. 
• Keep lit candles at least 12 inches away from decorations or anything that can catch fire. 
• Keep children and pets away from lit candles.
• Extinguish all lit candles before going to bed or leaving the house.
• Check to make sure your lights are rated for indoor or outdoor use or both. 
• Replace any light strands that have worn or broken cords. Make sure to read the recommendation for the number of light strings you can string together. 
• Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving home or going to bed.
• If you have a real Christmas tree, make sure to check water levels daily! It is not unusual for a tree to drink two gallons of water the first day it is in the stand. 
• Keep real Christmas trees away from a heat source. It can dry out the tree quickly. 

Make sure also to clean your oven after Thanksgiving before preparing the next holiday meal. In case of an oven fire, turn off the oven and keep the door closed until it is cool. Clean cooktops often as left-over grease can catch fire. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, but Christmas and Christmas Eve follow closely behind, OSFM wrote.

If you are planning to host family and friends during the holidays, make sure they are aware of your fire escape plan. Show them where all the exits are in your home and make sure they are aware of a meeting spot location in case of fire. Illinois residents should continue following the COVID-19 prevention protocols from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

NCIS season 19 expands McGee family with Home Improvement star

NCIS season 19 expands McGee family with Home Improvement star

NCIS season 19 spoilers follow.

NCIS has teased the introduction of a new character in the McGee family, played by Home Improvement star Patricia Richardson.

In the upcoming episode ‘Docked’, which airs tonight (November 8) on CBS in the US, Richardson will join the cast as Tim McGee’s mother-in-law.

The episode synopsis reads: “NCIS investigates the death of a man on a cruise ship whose body is discovered in the ship’s sauna by none other than McGee’s mother-in-law, Judy (Patricia Richardson).”

ncis season 19  patricia richardson as judy

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Related: NCIS season 19 just solved the show’s biggest mystery

Richardson is best known for starring as Jill Taylor in ABC’s Home Improvement, for which she was nominated for four Primetime Emmys and two Golden Globes. She has also starred in Lifetime’s medical drama Strong Medicine and NBC’s The West Wing.

It is unclear at this point whether she’ll become a recurring character, or if she’s just appearing in one episode.

patricia richardson in november 2019

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McGee’s wife and Judy’s daughter, Delilah Fielding (Margo Harshman), will also be returning for the episode, having last appeared in early season 18.

The new sneak peeks released by CBS show McGee (Sean Murray) interviewing his mother-in-law about the man who died on her cruise and who she just so happens to have been “intimate” with prior to his death.

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Related: NCIS: LA boss responds to speculation season 13 will be its last

The police drama’s 19th season started airing back in September, and is likely to wrap up around April 2022.

This season is the first without star Mark Harmon in his leading role as special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Harmon’s final episode aired last month, with his character retiring to Alaska.

Instead, Gary Cole has stepped in as former FBI officer Alden Parker, who is the new special agent in charge of the titular team.

ncis season 19

Sonja Flemming/CBSGetty Images

Related: NCIS and BMF stars join Robert Downey Jr’s Perry Mason in season 2

Discussing the new role, Cole explained: “Parker isn’t overly chatty, but he is more verbal [than Gibbs]… He’s trying to fit in with the rest of the team.”

NCIS airs on CBS in the US.

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Diwali 2021: Here are 6 easy and creative DIY home decor ideas to try this festive season

Diwali 2021: Here are 6 easy and creative DIY home decor ideas to try this festive season

1 of the most auspicious Hindu festivals, Diwali, is a festival of lights that is celebrated on the day of Amavasya (new moon) of Krishna Paksha in Kartik month. This year, Diwali will be celebrated on November 4, 2021.

With Diwali just all over the corner, individuals have been gearing up for the preparations to rejoice the homecoming of Lord Ram.

Folks enhance their residences with vibrant lights, colourful rangolis, candles, lanterns and vibrant earthen lamps. On this working day, persons also exchange amazing provides with their cherished kinds.

To start with the home decorations, below are some easy and resourceful Do-it-yourself residence decor ideas which will not only save your time but also give a common contact to your residence.

Below are 6 straightforward and fascinating Diy dwelling decor strategies

– Tea gentle candle hanging/Washi tape Diwali tealights

Lights and candles are a will have to for Diwali decorations as they give a lively vibe to your property. Nonetheless, tealight candles may possibly search a bit flat with their first grey steel holders. So, change to washi tapes!

Make sure that the width of washi tapes flawlessly matches the holders. All you have to do is decide the tapes of your option and wrap them close to the tealight. You can go for anything quirky or even give a floral touch to it. Just don’t neglect to use a wide variety of tapes to make them additional vibrant.

And that’s it! When done, you can use this stunning decor in a rangoli or even as hanging lights.

– Paper cup garland/crepe paper toran for the backdrop

Not to skip out on a stunning Diwali decor for the backdrop of your personal place or even the living room.

Seize a bunch of paper cups and wrap them one particular by just one with many ornamental papers as per your liking. When done, cut the bottom of the cups with a knife.

Now, by means of these holes, poke out the light-weight bulbs of your Diwali decoration lights.

Similarly, you can make your possess crepe paper toran which will certainly previous more time than flower toran. You can also insert gold bells at every single close to increase that more glow and make it a lot more festive.

– Recycle pickle jars

What is superior than decorating your household on Diwali with items lying at household? Recycle and see how the smallest factors at residence can give you festive vibes.

For this Do-it-yourself, you just will need unused pickle jars which will switch the beautiful vases.

Use these pickle jars with marigold flowers and see the magic. You can even gentle mitti diyas all-around your decoration and put them as a present at the entrance of your house.

– Yarn lantern

Blow a balloon and get ready a combination of glue and drinking water. Spread the glue paste cautiously on the balloon. Then wrap the balloon with colourful yarn threads. All through this entire approach, you need to make sure that the balloon doesn’t burst.

The moment it is dry, burst the balloon to get a excellent shaped yarn ball. You can then set a cluster of lights inside this yarn ball and dangle it as a decor piece.

– Experiment with candles (Floating candles/henna-decorated/candle within jar)

H2o candle decoration on Diwali just appears exquisite and swish. For this, you need to get a glass bowl and fill it with drinking water. Insert some rose petals into the drinking water and location floating candles on to it.

For an additional Do it yourself trick with candles, you have to have to choose a number of mason jars of distinctive sizes and wrap them with laces, ribbons or even vibrant yarns. At the time completed, put your candle within the jar and see the magic.

Likewise, you can enhance your basic candles to give them a a lot more energetic and festive search. Decide on a candle of a even bigger dimension so that it is uncomplicated to draw your pattern with a henna cone. When it gets dry, use a brush to coat the sample on your candle with gold glitter employing a combination of glue and drinking water.

– Paper bag luminaries

Paper bag luminaries are just as intriguing and beautiful as their names. Not only do they just include glow to your Diwali decoration, but also give you a heat and tranquil ambience.

To develop these, decide on brown paper baggage and basically punch the paper with a attractive hole punch. Then put your candle inside of. Area them in close proximity to your swimming pool or even on the balcony.

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