You, too, can prevent fires during holiday season, official says

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Is fire prevention on your Christmas “to-do” list?

Capt. Alvin Ware, head of the Youngstown Fire Department investigations unit, thinks it should be.

His worst day, as a member of the YFD honor guard, was the Neely funeral. Standing guard near five small and two adult caskets inside Mt. Gilead Baptist Church is a Christmastime memory that will never fade.

A pot left unattended on a stove caused the inferno on West Glenaven Avenue at 2:30 a.m. Dec. 22, 1993. The fire spread upstairs from the kitchen and smoke inhalation claimed the lives of five children and their grandparents. The house had no smoke detectors.

Historically, cooking-related fires are the second leading cause of death in Ohio, careless smoking is first, according to the Ohio State Fire Marshals Office.

Ware said it’s important, especially during the holidays when distractions are many, to never leave food unattended on the stove top or in the oven. Turn off what you’re cooking or baking if you must leave the kitchen and check before going to bed to make sure the stove is off.

Follow the same safety precautions when it comes to candles, don’t leave unattended and make sure they’re out when you go to bed. Ware said homes with pets have to be extra vigilant when it comes to candles.

Read the full story, complete with a list of fire-safety tips, Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.