With temperatures dropping and the holidays here, state fire officials are calling on Delawareans to keep fire safety in the front of their minds.
The holiday brings its own fire risks, according to Michael Chionchio, assistant state fire marshal.
"We see [risks] spike in certain areas and the two big ones that we have are cooking and candles," he said.
Chionchio reminds holiday home chefs to keep an eye on their cooking and not get distracted by phone calls, guests, and other holiday diversions. He notes that cooking oil, especially, can quickly ignite if it gets too hot.
Another seasonal concern as temperatures drop is space heaters. Chionchio says to avoid plugging space heaters into extension cords, because that can be dangerous.
“The space heaters, and all appliances come with a certain length power cord, and that certain length power cord is done to the specifications of the manufacturer," he said. "Adding different cords to that extends the electric, and could overload that appliance.”
State fire officials also remind Delawareans to check their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and to have an escape plan in case of a house fire.
