Christmas tree in Brake: apartment fire endangers residents!

On Saturday, December 28th, there was a fire in Breite Strasse in Brake, which was caused by a Christmas tree. The volunteer fire brigade, the police and the emergency services were alerted after the fire was reported. When the fire brigade arrived, the residents had already deleted the fire themselves.

The emergency services then checked the fire location with a thermal imaging camera and carried out over pressure ventilation of the affected apartment and the stairwell. In the incident, a resident was brought to St. Bernhard Hospital on suspicion of flue gas poisoning. A total of four vehicles from the fire brigade and three vehicles from the emergency services were deployed.

increased fire risk at Christmas time

The incidents related to Christmas tree fires are not an isolated case at Christmas. As reported, this time is associated with an increased risk of fire. In December 2019, around 29,000 fires were registered in Germany, which corresponds to about 9,000 more than in other months. The largest sources of danger are Christmas trees with real candles, sparklers and advent wreaths on which candles burn.

A dry Christmas tree can be completely on fire in just 4 to 10 seconds. The risk continues to increase when toxic swaths of smoke from plastic Christmas trees are released when burning. For these reasons, it is important to pay particular attention to fire prevention and security, especially when using real candles.

• include important safety rules:
• candles never leave it unattended.
Use
• stable Christmas tree stand to prevent tipping from tipping over.
• don't let the candles burn out and keep sufficient distance from branches.
Place
• Advent wreaths on non -flammable documents.
• Christmas tree regularly moisten with water.
Buy
• Christmas tree as late as possible to avoid drying out.
• keep extinguishing agents ready.
• Use only metal candle holder.
• Use electrical fairy lights with VDE test marks, CE certification or TÜV seal.

In the case of a fire, it should be noted that the heat of a Christmas tree fire can reach 1,000 to 1,200 ° C in a closed room. Extensions in such an emergency should only be undertaken at the stages of origin, since security always has priority. Smoke detectors are an essential aid to become aware of fires at an early stage - in many federal states there is even an obligation to install smoke detectors.

For further information on security measures in dealing with Christmas trees and fires, see rau.chmutenungen.de .

More details about the incident in Brake can be found at nwzonline read.