No place like a safe home for the holidays

By Lethbridge Herald on December 17, 2025.

HERALD PHOTO BY JOE MANIO Holiday lights, decorations and extension cords should be double-checked for frayed wires, broken sockets or bulbs and residents should be mindful of how many items are plugged into power outlets or powerbanks to avoid overloading them.

Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As Lethbridge residents prepare to deck the halls this holiday season, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services (LFES) reminds people to decorate and cook safely as some of the things that bring comfort and joy to the season can also become fire hazards under the right conditions.

Winter is a time for celebration, but it is also a time when fire risks rise. Many incidents can be avoided by taking basic precautions in the kitchen, with decorations and when using candles or heating equipment.

Chief Fire Marshal Troy Hicks advises residents to double-check holiday lights (and extension cords) for frayed wires, broken sockets or bulbs and to be mindful of how many items are plugged into power outlets to avoid overloading them.

“If you’re ordering them online, make sure you’re having a good look of where it’s coming from…make sure it’s either ULC or CSA-approved,” he says. “Sometimes when you find these on Amazon or other websites online (like Temu) and they’re really cheap, well, sometimes there’s a reason why they’re really cheap.”

Hicks also says it is important to make sure Christmas trees are well maintained, especially trees with built-in lights. 

Open flames from candles also pose another risk and Hicks says candles should always be completely extinguished before walking away from it, leaving the house or going to bed. He says that just because you blow out a candle doesn’t necessarily mean it’s extinguished.

He says he’s personally found that with large candles, you actually have to cover them (put the cover over it) to cut off the oxygen and ensure the candle’s completely out.

Hicks recommends using battery-operated candles instead of traditional burning candles. 

Because kitchens are busier during the holidays, Hicks also encouraged residents not to leave cooking unattended, especially when frying, boiling, grilling or broiling. 

Unattended cooking remains the leading cause of kitchen fires. Hicks adds that while turkeys and other foods take a long time to bake in the oven residents should never leave their house while it is cooking.

Combustible items, like oven mitts and dish towels, away from the stove. In the event of a grease fire, cooks are reminded never to use water, but instead smother the flames with a lid and turn off the burner.

Other seasonal items in the home can lead to fires and accidents like space heaters and heated blankets.

Hicks says heaters should be kept at least three feet away from walls or anything combustible. And care should also be taken with old heaters that don’t have an automatic shut-off feature if tipped-over or a timer on it.

As with lights, heated blankets should be checked for any wear and tear (and replaced if showing any exposed or frayed wires) and users are also urged to turn off and unplug heaters, heated blankets and heating pads when they are not using them.

In the event of a fire, LFES says that de-cluttering the front is very important in case you need to quickly leave. Boots, coats and other items should be moved to a place where they will not block access to the door.

Residents are asked to regularly practice their home fire escape plan with all household members, and check smoke alarms frequently to keep their households safe not only during the holidays but year-round.