Public urged to exercise caution to reduce risk of fire with Christmas lights
SIBU: The public is advised to exercise caution with brightly lit Christmas trees to reduce the risk of fire from overheated coloured bulbs or unsafe wiring.
State Fire and Rescue Department ( Bomba) director Nor Hisham Mohammad highlighted that most of the artificial trees are not fire retardant.
“Avoid continuous heating by switching off Christmas tree lights before retiring to bed and ensure proper wiring.Also, make sure all indoor and outdoor Christmas lights have been tested by the SIRIM lab or MS standard compliance for safety, and throw out any damaged lights,” he said yesterday when asked on fire safety tips to prevent Christmas tree from catching fire.
“Any light you use outdoor must be labelled suitable for exterior placement, and be sure to plug them into a ground- fault circuit interrupter protected receptacle,” added Nor Hisham.
The director also reminded the public to keep all candles away from your Christmas trees, surrounding furniture and decor.
He urged the public to always place their trees away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
“Fresh trees are less likely to catch fire,” he said, encouraging the use of a tree with vibrant green needles that are hard to pluck and do not break easily from its branches.
Meanwhile, a Christmas present placed beneath a Christmas tree at Sibu Town Square gave off sparks that ignited a small fire while it was raining on Tuesday night.
Councillor Connie Loh of Sibu Municipal Council, who is behind the festive project, confirmed the incident yesterday, saying the problem had been rectified with the festive lights restored. She believed the sparks were caused by a short circuit.