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The Alarm Box: Keep your holidays from going up in flames Wednesday Dec 14, 2016 at 7:47 PM Dec 14, 2016 at 7:47 PM By Margueritte Hickman Ashland Fire & Rescue The holidays are in full swing — parties, decorations, gifts, shopping, travelling and perhaps some stress and distractions. The stress and distractions that many experience this time of year can lead to some disastrous mishaps in our homes. In The Alarm Box before Thanksgiving, I preempted the holiday season with several tips. This column may seem a bit repetitive, but sometimes we need another reminder. Given that this is the season that cooking fires significantly contribute to the number of house fires in Oregon, we need to make an extra effort to pay attention to the kitchen.  With the excitement and distractions we experience while hosting family and friends, it’s easy to think we will be back shortly to check the bacon — and it’s even easier to get distracted. When cooking items on the stove top that need to be watched, just don’t walk away. If you do have to walk away, have someone else stay in the kitchen or turn the stove off.  Last year I revived a family banana bread recipe with plans to give a couple of loaves to others — or rather, I made an attempt to revive my baking skills. While in another room I started smelling the banana bread and quickly realized that the banana bread had been in the oven at least an hour longer than necessary. Thankfully there was no fire, but the house was a bit stinky and no one was getting a loaf of banana bread the next day. Note to self: Set a timer while cooking or baking. The results will be a lot better and you may prevent a fire.  Candles are one of those items that can be your arch nemesis when it comes to fire prevention. Several years ago we were hosting a holiday gathering in our home, and I had lit some candles. I had attempted to employ everything that I have preached for years. There were two tea lights in appropriate candle holders sitting on a table in the living room. Our living room, dining room and kitchen all connect, so I could easily move through the area and still be “in the room.” At some point, I looked over at one of the candles and noticed about a 6-inch swirling flame on the top of the tea light. Normally a tea light has less than a one-inch flame. The candle wax was gone, so we assume the candle vapors had allowed the flame to develop. If I had left the room or if there were fabrics or other combustible items close to the candle, we would have had a fire. I have lit very few candles since then because of the concern, and I have actually started using battery operated candles. These are much safer, and today’s versions can be hard to differentiate from wax candles.  Every year we respond to both unattended cooking fires and unattended candle fires. I hope that stories of my experiences help to keep your home safe this holiday season! Check our website at www.ashland.or.us/holiday for more helpful tips. The Alarm Box, a column with local public safety information, appears triweekly in the Tidings. Margueritte Hickman is a division chief/fire marshal with Ashland Fire & Rescue. Email topic suggestions to her at [email protected].