Even in the perpetually warm Valley of the Sun, the start of winter brings cooler air, warmer clothes and the opportunity to throw a log or two on the rarely used hearth.
It also brings the chance for more fire-related accidents. According to a report from international safety consulting organization Underwriters Laboratories, fires during the winter holiday season kill 400 Americans each year and injure more than 1,600. These holiday fires cause approximately $990 million in damages annually.
While Tempe does not have as many fire-related problems as other parts of the country, the Tempe Fire Department has been taking steps to educate city residents about seasonal concerns.
Tempe Fire Department spokeswoman Sue Taaffe said in an email that the city sees the most increases in calls about poorly maintained in-home heating appliances.
“The main areas of increase of calls during the winter months are issues regarding home heating where units are not maintained, especially those powered by natural gas where carbon monoxide can be a problem,” she said.
She added that the fire department has many calls relating to fires lit in fireplaces, especially when homeowners add more firewood than they need. These can result in temperatures that are too high for the fireplace.
These high temperatures can result in unfortunate occurrences even when a fire appears to be completely out, as Emerson College student Andy Brightman found out in January 2010.
On Jan. 1, Brightman, 21, did the same chore he had done many times before – shoveling coals and ashes from the fireplace at his family’s house in North Wales, Pa. into a plastic garbage bag, which he then threw outside.
Around 4 a.m., this common occurrence changed.
“All of a sudden, my mom was yelling about smoke,” Brightman said.
The fire debris, which Brightman described as “stone cold,” had ignited, and the ensuing blaze was large enough that his family had to spend the next 70 days in a hotel as work was done on the house.
It was a harsh reminder to be more careful, he said.
“I learned not to be an idiot,” Brightman said. “I have literally never put ashes in a bag since then. I’d dump them in water before I do that.”
The Tempe Fire Department works extensively to inform residents to avoid such catastrophes, Taaffe said. Tempe has not had any extreme calls during previous winters, she said.
“We provide information to the public on a regular basis in Tempe Today (the city's newsletter), on Facebook and Twitter and through press releases for the general public and the media,” she said.
Two recent releases provide lists of fire safety tips for holiday cooking and using fireplaces or heaters. Some tips include turning pot and pan handles inward to avoid spilling scalding liquids while cooking and never using electric decorations on an aluminum Christmas tree or candles on any tree.
Gilbert resident Jon Hatt, 22, said most of these tips seemed obvious and holiday fires, like others are easy to avoid.
He’s only had one negative experience with fire, when a friend of his mother’s spilled oil on the family’s stove and went into another room. The stove caught on fire and ended up scorching the kitchen cabinets, Hatt said.
“I think people should only set fires if they know how to respond if the fire gets out of control,” he said. “They should always keep an eye on the food just in case something goes wrong.”
Throughout the year, the Tempe Fire Department sends its two community education specialists to local schools to educate children on fire prevention techniques, Taaffe said.
