After Holiday Action Report ...

1.  Do not assume that flame resistant materials won't burn -- they do burn,  just a little bit slower than something that is not flame resistant.

2.  Invest in a good fire alarm and place it in the vicinity of your holiday display. Make sure the batteries are new and test the alarm to see if it is working. A few seconds warning can make a tremendous difference.

3.  Keep an ABC (Powder) fire extinguisher nearby. Aim it at the base of the fire and don't stop until it is out. If you sense that you are losing the battle, get out and call for help.

4.  Verify the placement of all decorations and candle-holders personally. Do not delegate this to anyone.

5.   If you are using live candles (i.e. in a Menorah or candelabra) allow sufficient space all around the candle-holder and make sure that it is not set on a flamable decorative base. Be sure that there is nothing over the candle area. Make sure that the candle-holder is tip-proof and will not slide under light vibration.

6.   Do not assume the fire is out until you check for embers and place a wet rag over the burned area until it is cool to the touch. Clear out the entire area when you perform this check. It is not sufficient to just "eyeball" the area.

7.  Remember, you can replace physical goods. Preserving life and avoiding injury is your prime objective.

Hint: if your livingroom is near the front door, leaving a hose and nozzle in a convenient position can't hurt. 

While sitting watching television, the fire alarm behind my head went off with both tone and voice alert. Looking around I saw nothing until I saw the mantle ablaze; I am not sure if one of the candles had slumped over or the rush of air from the heater register blew some of the gauze-like artificial snow material into the flame; in any event, one of the candles had caught the snow-like material on fire. Grabbing a fire extinguisher (in this case Halon), the fire was quickly extinguished leaving only a few deep char marks in the mantle. Has this been near the Christmas tree -- it might have been a radically different story. Note, I was surprised at the force of the fire extinguisher output and noticed that it was blowing the burning material around. I kept the handle down until I saw there was no flame. While Halon is no longer available (thanks to the environmentalists), substitutes can be found. I use this more expensive extinguisher as it can be used on electrical devices, does not corrode electronics and leaves little or no residue. Not so for ABC powder extinguishers.

It is unseasonably cold here in Southern California – with snow in Malibu – which causes people to turn up their home heating systems or put on their fireplaces.

Therefore, One Citizen Speaking would like to take this opportunity to remind you that Christmas Trees, Wreaths, Runners and other live decorative reminders of the holiday season will dry out faster than may be anticipated. Keep your tree well-hydrated, discard dried branches, check your Christmas tree lights and place your tree away from heat and other  ignition sources.

A dry Christmas Tree or any other decoration used with lights can explode and burn with ferocious intensity.

Check 0ut this short NIST  (National Institute of Standards and Technology) demonstration of how quickly a Christmas Tree fire can engulf a room.

More NIST videos demonstrating Tree fires can be found here.

A Season for Sharing in Fire Safety can be found here.

It would be a shame to compound the problems of the economy and foreign affairs with a totally preventable accident.

Be well. Be safe. Be in good spirits.