KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Fire Department and Rural Metro responded to three house fires in Knox County on Friday morning. One person died in a fire in East Knoxville, KFD said.
Knoxville Fire Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks said fires spike in Knoxville between October and March, because of the cold weather. He offered several safety tips for the holiday season, listed below.
Practice good electrical hygiene
Wilbanks said families shouldn't string more than three chains of Christmas lights together. Make sure your extension cords and cables are in good condition.
Practice fire safety in your home
Don't leave candles unattended, Wilbanks said. He said the Knoxville Fire Department sees more people using candles when the days get shorter. Clean your fireplaces and make sure you have a screen in front of the fire, so the embers don't fly into the rest of your home.
Be careful with space heaters
Wilbanks said families should plug heaters directly into the wall. Don't use extension cords or power strips. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said don't leave heaters unattended and keep them around 3 ft. away from anything flammable.
Make sure your smoke detectors work
People should check if their smoke detectors at least once a month, Wilbanks said. Change the batteries, if you need, whenever you change your clocks.
"Every single month, you should go up, press that button, check that smoke alarm," Wilbanks said. "Make sure it activates and you can hear it."
If you live in Knoxville and you live in a single-family home, you can call 311 and someone will bring and install a smoke detector in your home.