Kirksville Alerts
Kirksville Fire Department has helpful tips to stay fire-safe this holiday season
December 15, 2025
For More Information Contact:
Jon Cook
Fire Chief
660.665.3734
Kirksville Fire Department has helpful tips to stay fire-safe this holiday season
(Kirksville, MO) - The holidays are a time for families and friends to gather together – and without a visit from the Kirksville Fire Department. Following these tips will help ensure a happy and fire-safe holiday season.
For holiday decorating:
- Choose holiday decorations that are flame-resistant or flame-retardant.
- If you choose a natural tree, buy a fresh-cut tree and water it daily.
- Keep lit candles away from decorations and other flammable objects.
- Some holiday lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. Be sure to check!
- Replace any string of holiday lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections.
- Use clips, not nails, to hang holiday lights so the cords don’t get damaged.
- Test your smoke alarms and tell your guests about your home fire escape plan.
- Keep children and pets away from lit candles, and keep matches and lighters high up in a locked cabinet.
- When cooking on the stovetop, stay in the kitchen and have a fire extinguisher nearby.
- Ensure your furnace has been inspected and serviced by a qualified professional during the past twelve months. (A furnace should be serviced at least once a year.)
- Ensure chimneys and vents have been cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional, and burn only dry, seasoned firewood in a fireplace.
- Ensure your fireplace screen is metal or heat-tempered glass, in good condition, and secure in front of the fireplace.
- Have a covered metal container ready to dispose of cooled ashes. The ash container should be kept at least ten feet from the home and any nearby buildings.
- Use only portable space heaters with an automatic shut-off. Plug electric heaters directly into a wall outlet, never an extension cord.
###