Practicing fire safety during peak season

Despite the recent rainfall, NYC remains in a drought watch with October recorded as the driest month in modern history. Dozens of brush fires and wildfires swept across the city and state, several occurring in Van Cortlandt Park and others in places no one would think, including the brushfire along University Avenue last month. With December and January being the peak of fire season in the U.S., it’s even more important to take precaution this holiday season as the bitter cold increases the dryness in the air.

Cooking accounts for the leading cause of house fires as families gather around large holiday dinners, followed by heating equipment like space heaters, faulty electrical systems, candles and Christmas trees. According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2023, local fire departments responded to an estimated 1.39 million fires across the country with 20% of them occurring in one to two-family homes. At-home fires have seen an 8% increase since 2000, according to The Red Cross.

The humanitarian organization, which provides a variety of care from blood donations to relief in natural disasters, provided emergency assistance to 51 individuals in the Bronx after several household fires from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2, alone. In the eight days, it also provided aid to 46 people in Brooklyn, 19 people in Manhattan, 29 people in Queens and four in Staten Island, following 22 household fires.

But it isn’t just residences that suffer.

Last December, a five-alarm fire burned through several businesses on 231^st Street between Broadway and Godwin Terrace, taking with it, the neighborhood’s only fish market. The electrical fire started at the popular food spot, Cold City Deli, where locals ordered sandwiches to go or sat in the shop during their lunch break.

In October, Columbia Florist, one of the businesses who experienced the least of the damage in the fire, reopened and was glad to be back in the neighborhood after operating out of a flower shop in the east Bronx in the interim.

In November 2021, a four-alarm fire shuttered several businesses along Bailey Avenue near 238th Street. More than three years later, only one business shows signs of hope – Tililá Casa Pública & Cocina, reopening as Tililá La Casita Azul (the little blue house.) Specializing in Latin food and live music, the restaurant has been posting teaser videos on Instagram of a soon-to-come grand opening.

But not all businesses were as fortunate. The area adjacent to the flower shop remains an empty lot, blocked off by temporary construction walls, a stark reminder of the lasting damage caused by a single flame.

And while Tililá is celebrating their resurgence, their neighbors remain in the ashes.

Yet, other realities are harsher still.

In January 2022, the Bronx saw one of the most devastating fires in decades at the Twin Parks buildings in the Tremont section of the Bronx, where more than a dozen children perished.

Fires take lives, homes, treasured items, personal documents and leave individuals literally trying to piece their lives back together. Sometimes the pieces are missing and what once was can never be whole again.

As you celebrate this holiday season, please take the necessary precautions. If using candles, as many do during Chanukkah, consider using electric or battery powered menorahs. If candles must be used, never leave them unattended and put them out before going to bed. If Christmas is your holiday, opt for an artificial tree as real conifers dry out if not properly watered and pose a serious fire hazard as they are surrounded by holiday lights.

Cooking fires account for more than half of residential fires. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in an easily accessible area and away from the stove. Remember to never use water for a grease fire.

Faulty outlets and extension cords can spark a fire. Assure that your wires and outlets are in good condition.

Have working fire detectors in every room and keep a clear pathway to fire escapes, as well as a fire safety plan, should worse come to worst.

As we gather with loved ones and share gratitude, do not take their safety for granted. Be vigilant. Be safe.