December 17, 2024 • 9 mins
In this week's episode of "What's Up, College Station?" Marketing Coordinator Grace Hallowell and CSFD Captain Stuart Marrs to discuss essential safety tips to protect your loved ones, pets, and property during firework season. Fireworks are a fun way to celebrate holidays, but without the proper precautions, they can lead to accidents, injuries, or even house fires.
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If you have a suggestion for a future topic or interview, email me at ckillian@cstx.gov.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:18):
[Music]
What's up, College Station? I'm Grace Hallowell and today I'm joined by Stu the Fire Guy from the
College Station Fire Department. Hi. -Hi, great to be here. -Yes we are heading into the Christmas holiday.
I feel like we've been counting down the days I know I have but here today we are going to
talk about holiday fire safety. -That's right. So we made it through Thanksgiving we got past that big
(00:41):
hurdle. We I don't think anybody burned their house to the ground in our city on Thanksgiving day so
that everybody was safe with their cooking and with all their family over so that's good but the other
two busiest days for for cooking fires across the country are Christmas Eve and Christmas day so
still keep in mind need to be safe in the kitchen, keep kids and pets and all those distractions away
(01:03):
from the kitchen when you're cooking a big meal and always stay with what you're cooking whether
you're cooking in the kitchen or out on the grill if the weather's nice enough which it is sometimes
for Christmas for us, right? So uh just always stay by and pay attention to what you're cooking.
Don't get distracted because that's when the accidents happen. That's when flare ups happen or
something gets burned or catches on fire is when you're away and not paying attention to it. -And
(01:27):
another precaution is to have have some sort of fire safety equipment nearby in your kitchen, correct?
-Correct. That's right if a pan catches on fire the first thing you want to do is turn off the the
source of the heat so turn the burner off and then if you have a lid nearby smother
that fire if you can. You can also have a fire extinguisher. You always want to keep that -- I keep
(01:50):
mine out on the countertop. If you put it under the sink it's going to get shoved to the back. It's
going to be hiding behind the dishwasher detergent and the Fabuloso and all the other great things
that you put under your sink and so keep that out on top of your countertop. Mine sits next to the to
the paper towels honestly. It's a little ugly but it's right there where I I always know where it
is and I can grab it quickly. Another thing that people have started putting in their kitchens is
(02:13):
fire blankets. It's a special material that's fire resistant and it's it's a pretty big size and so
you can pull that out and put it over anything that's on fire it'll cover your whole stove
top area so turn off the heat source put a fire blanket on it. Turn off the heat source, smother
it with something. Not a good idea to pick it up and run it run outside with it right because
(02:34):
running is going to create a breeze and it's going to flare up in into you, it's going to slosh possibly.
Also not a good idea to pick it up and and throw it into the sink because if you're dealing with
grease it's going to splatter. It'll splatter all over your arms, I've I've seen those kind
of injuries here in my career, it's not pretty and then hitting it with water is is not a good idea
either because for a grease fire that grease is just going to spread and try to get away from
(02:57):
the water so you're going to create a bigger mess. So turn off the heat source, smother the flames.
If the fire is in the oven that's a simple one keep the door closed, turn off the oven, keep
the door closed. Smoke is going to vent into your house, it's going to be annoying. We can come
help you get the smoke out of your house but don't open up the oven door and give it a big fresh
(03:20):
breath burst of air cuz it's just going to make it really angry and then you're going to have a big
big problem. -Yes. So try your best to stay calm. I know that's easier said than done um but like you
mentioned um kids keep them away. I'm a new kitten mom um and he is in the stage of crawling on top
(03:41):
of everything so I make sure whenever I'm cooking he is locked in a bedroom with his toys away from
the hot stove or knocking things over to catch them on fire. -Absolutely. Another good trick is to
get a squirt bottle and keep that, that's what we do because we have cats too. So we keep a squirt
bottle and anytime they jump up or do something they're not allowed to do they get squirted. -Yes teach
(04:02):
them as well that fire can be dangerous um and it's dangerous in and outside of the kitchen um
especially with certain holiday decorations. -Yes so this time of year everybody wants their house to
smell like pumpkin spice or peppermint or whatever and so you've got candles burning and and and and
candles are the um the biggest cause of home fires outside of cooking so you're talking about
(04:27):
home fires that are caused by decorations candles cause almost half of those fires which is because
people leave them unattended and they're burning them where they shouldn't be burning them. I burn
a candle in my house. It sits in the very center of the of the kitchen island and so it's
2 or three feet from everything else and there's no other decor around it there's no
(04:50):
foliage or leaves or snowmen there's nothing else around i. It sits right there in the middle where
little kids can't reach over and play with it and the cat can't easily knock it off so and I don't
leave it burning when I'm not there, when I'm not active in the kitchen or that part of the house.
If I'm leaving even if I'm just going outside to do some some work outside I'll blow it up so
(05:16):
always attend to your candles if you're going to burn candles and make sure that they're very far
away from anything that can catch on fire. What usually happens is they're near um curtains or
they're in a bedroom in a pile of clothes those tall taper candles can fall over um even
even just striking the match and not throwing the match in the sink or not or not running it
(05:39):
under water when you're done with the match. If I strike a match it goes in the sink. I'll
come back later and pick it up and throw it away but striking a match and throwing it in the garbage
is another common cause of fires. - And candle warmers um I know they make those nowadays
um that's a little bit safer of an alternative than an open flame um and I think they work
(06:01):
just as well scent wise um but yes make sure you never leave your candles unattended um and another
winter fire hazard can be space heaters. -Yes. -II know our weather's knock on wood getting warmer
this week um but that doesn't mean it won't dip down again and we might need our space heaters .
(06:21):
-Right we're in that awkward time of year where sometimes it's the air conditioner sometimes
it's the heater but if you're going to use a space heater make sure you've got a modern space heater.
If it has a safety switch underneath it meaning if the cat knocks it
over right the safety switch will trigger and it will turn off. If your space heater doesn't have
that safety switch on it, if it's not up to date, if it's an older model go to the store and get
(06:47):
a new space heater, that one that's going to be more safe. We run them in our house because some
people in our my family their feet get cold so we have space heaters. My rule is use it but when you
leave the room turn it off and so um even the ones that have thermostats on them and the
fancier ones or the remote control ones turn them off when you leave the room, make sure they're off
when you leave the house. If you're going to run them at night when you're sleeping um keep them
(07:11):
far - well anytime you run them - keep them far away from curtains, far away from furniture, 3 feet is
the rule so give your space heaters space. -Yes. And going outside of Christmas and into New Year's um
it's the second most popular day for fireworks um which are illegal to pop off in city limits
(07:31):
um so let's kind of talk about fireworks safety and why we shouldn't set those off. -Yeah the um
fireworks everyone wants to celebrate in New Years and ringing the New Year a common way to do
that is with fireworks but they are not allowed you can get a big ticket from our Fire Marshals.
If you're caught with the fireworks and they will confiscate them and so there's alternatives um
(07:53):
there's party poppers, there's for little kids they love to blow bubbles, we do glow sticks and
so there's a lot of alternatives for things that are bright and fun and noisy and festive
that are not fireworks so if you're in the city limits go for one of those other options. Also
another popular way to do New Year's Eve uh with little kids is to celebrate at noon
(08:16):
okay and so then you're not keeping them up to midnight and they're not grumpy the next
day but you have your little celebration at noon and . . . -You're not waking up your neighbors
sleeping. -Exactly yeah not everybody stays up to midnight so uh find an alternative if you want
to do something that's festive and fun and makes noise and makes a mess fireworks arnot the
way to go. -Gotcha. So where can people find out more information on fire safety tips. -Fire safety
(08:41):
tips for this time of year, any time of the year you find information for that at NFPA uh that's
the National Fire Protection Association and they always have good resources and information about
any kind of fire and life safety issue. -All right well thank you so much for for joining me today.
-Absolutely, good to be here. -Before we go let's look at our upcoming City calendar. The deadline
(09:04):
to apply for a city committee, board or commission is December 27th. For more information and to apply
go to cstx.gov. Century Square's Holiday Artisan Market is from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on December
21st. It's another event featuring live music and exceptional shopping for last minute Christmas
gifts. For more on these and other events go to cstx.gov/calendar. And that's what up [Music]
(09:41):
[Music]
[Music]
What's up, College Station? I'm Grace Hallowell and today I'm joined by Stu the Fire Guy from the
College Station Fire Department. Hi. -Hi, great to be here. -Yes we are heading into the Christmas holiday.
I feel like we've been counting down the days I know I have but here today we are going to
talk about holiday fire safety. -That's right. So we made it through Thanksgiving we got past that big
(00:41):
hurdle. We I don't think anybody burned their house to the ground in our city on Thanksgiving day so
that everybody was safe with their cooking and with all their family over so that's good but the other
two busiest days for for cooking fires across the country are Christmas Eve and Christmas day so
still keep in mind need to be safe in the kitchen, keep kids and pets and all those distractions away
(01:03):
from the kitchen when you're cooking a big meal and always stay with what you're cooking whether
you're cooking in the kitchen or out on the grill if the weather's nice enough which it is sometimes
for Christmas for us, right? So uh just always stay by and pay attention to what you're cooking.
Don't get distracted because that's when the accidents happen. That's when flare ups happen or
something gets burned or catches on fire is when you're away and not paying attention to it. -And
(01:27):
another precaution is to have have some sort of fire safety equipment nearby in your kitchen, correct?
-Correct. That's right if a pan catches on fire the first thing you want to do is turn off the the
source of the heat so turn the burner off and then if you have a lid nearby smother
that fire if you can. You can also have a fire extinguisher. You always want to keep that -- I keep
(01:50):
mine out on the countertop. If you put it under the sink it's going to get shoved to the back. It's
going to be hiding behind the dishwasher detergent and the Fabuloso and all the other great things
that you put under your sink and so keep that out on top of your countertop. Mine sits next to the to
the paper towels honestly. It's a little ugly but it's right there where I I always know where it
is and I can grab it quickly. Another thing that people have started putting in their kitchens is
(02:13):
fire blankets. It's a special material that's fire resistant and it's it's a pretty big size and so
you can pull that out and put it over anything that's on fire it'll cover your whole stove
top area so turn off the heat source put a fire blanket on it. Turn off the heat source, smother
it with something. Not a good idea to pick it up and run it run outside with it right because
(02:34):
running is going to create a breeze and it's going to flare up in into you, it's going to slosh possibly.
Also not a good idea to pick it up and and throw it into the sink because if you're dealing with
grease it's going to splatter. It'll splatter all over your arms, I've I've seen those kind
of injuries here in my career, it's not pretty and then hitting it with water is is not a good idea
either because for a grease fire that grease is just going to spread and try to get away from
(02:57):
the water so you're going to create a bigger mess. So turn off the heat source, smother the flames.
If the fire is in the oven that's a simple one keep the door closed, turn off the oven, keep
the door closed. Smoke is going to vent into your house, it's going to be annoying. We can come
help you get the smoke out of your house but don't open up the oven door and give it a big fresh
(03:20):
breath burst of air cuz it's just going to make it really angry and then you're going to have a big
big problem. -Yes. So try your best to stay calm. I know that's easier said than done um but like you
mentioned um kids keep them away. I'm a new kitten mom um and he is in the stage of crawling on top
(03:41):
of everything so I make sure whenever I'm cooking he is locked in a bedroom with his toys away from
the hot stove or knocking things over to catch them on fire. -Absolutely. Another good trick is to
get a squirt bottle and keep that, that's what we do because we have cats too. So we keep a squirt
bottle and anytime they jump up or do something they're not allowed to do they get squirted. -Yes teach
(04:02):
them as well that fire can be dangerous um and it's dangerous in and outside of the kitchen um
especially with certain holiday decorations. -Yes so this time of year everybody wants their house to
smell like pumpkin spice or peppermint or whatever and so you've got candles burning and and and and
candles are the um the biggest cause of home fires outside of cooking so you're talking about
(04:27):
home fires that are caused by decorations candles cause almost half of those fires which is because
people leave them unattended and they're burning them where they shouldn't be burning them. I burn
a candle in my house. It sits in the very center of the of the kitchen island and so it's
2 or three feet from everything else and there's no other decor around it there's no
(04:50):
foliage or leaves or snowmen there's nothing else around i. It sits right there in the middle where
little kids can't reach over and play with it and the cat can't easily knock it off so and I don't
leave it burning when I'm not there, when I'm not active in the kitchen or that part of the house.
If I'm leaving even if I'm just going outside to do some some work outside I'll blow it up so
(05:16):
always attend to your candles if you're going to burn candles and make sure that they're very far
away from anything that can catch on fire. What usually happens is they're near um curtains or
they're in a bedroom in a pile of clothes those tall taper candles can fall over um even
even just striking the match and not throwing the match in the sink or not or not running it
(05:39):
under water when you're done with the match. If I strike a match it goes in the sink. I'll
come back later and pick it up and throw it away but striking a match and throwing it in the garbage
is another common cause of fires. - And candle warmers um I know they make those nowadays
um that's a little bit safer of an alternative than an open flame um and I think they work
(06:01):
just as well scent wise um but yes make sure you never leave your candles unattended um and another
winter fire hazard can be space heaters. -Yes. -II know our weather's knock on wood getting warmer
this week um but that doesn't mean it won't dip down again and we might need our space heaters .
(06:21):
-Right we're in that awkward time of year where sometimes it's the air conditioner sometimes
it's the heater but if you're going to use a space heater make sure you've got a modern space heater.
If it has a safety switch underneath it meaning if the cat knocks it
over right the safety switch will trigger and it will turn off. If your space heater doesn't have
that safety switch on it, if it's not up to date, if it's an older model go to the store and get
(06:47):
a new space heater, that one that's going to be more safe. We run them in our house because some
people in our my family their feet get cold so we have space heaters. My rule is use it but when you
leave the room turn it off and so um even the ones that have thermostats on them and the
fancier ones or the remote control ones turn them off when you leave the room, make sure they're off
when you leave the house. If you're going to run them at night when you're sleeping um keep them
(07:11):
far - well anytime you run them - keep them far away from curtains, far away from furniture, 3 feet is
the rule so give your space heaters space. -Yes. And going outside of Christmas and into New Year's um
it's the second most popular day for fireworks um which are illegal to pop off in city limits
(07:31):
um so let's kind of talk about fireworks safety and why we shouldn't set those off. -Yeah the um
fireworks everyone wants to celebrate in New Years and ringing the New Year a common way to do
that is with fireworks but they are not allowed you can get a big ticket from our Fire Marshals.
If you're caught with the fireworks and they will confiscate them and so there's alternatives um
(07:53):
there's party poppers, there's for little kids they love to blow bubbles, we do glow sticks and
so there's a lot of alternatives for things that are bright and fun and noisy and festive
that are not fireworks so if you're in the city limits go for one of those other options. Also
another popular way to do New Year's Eve uh with little kids is to celebrate at noon
(08:16):
okay and so then you're not keeping them up to midnight and they're not grumpy the next
day but you have your little celebration at noon and . . . -You're not waking up your neighbors
sleeping. -Exactly yeah not everybody stays up to midnight so uh find an alternative if you want
to do something that's festive and fun and makes noise and makes a mess fireworks arnot the
way to go. -Gotcha. So where can people find out more information on fire safety tips. -Fire safety
(08:41):
tips for this time of year, any time of the year you find information for that at NFPA uh that's
the National Fire Protection Association and they always have good resources and information about
any kind of fire and life safety issue. -All right well thank you so much for for joining me today.
-Absolutely, good to be here. -Before we go let's look at our upcoming City calendar. The deadline
(09:04):
to apply for a city committee, board or commission is December 27th. For more information and to apply
go to cstx.gov. Century Square's Holiday Artisan Market is from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on December
21st. It's another event featuring live music and exceptional shopping for last minute Christmas
gifts. For more on these and other events go to cstx.gov/calendar. And that's what up [Music]
(09:41):
[Music]
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