Advent wreath catches fire on balcony

An Advent wreath caught fire on a balcony, but the fire brigade was able to extinguish the flames quickly and nobody was injured. The police urge caution when using real candles.

According to information from the Zug police an incident with a burning Advent wreath occurred on the Falkenweg in the municipality of Baar on Tuesday evening, December 17th,. The Baar fire brigade was able to quickly extinguish the fire on the balcony, and nobody was injured.

The remains of an Advent wreath that caught fire through inattention

If your Advent wreath, or even your Christmas tree, catches fire, it’s not only Christmas Eve, that will be ruined, but often the whole Christmas season. Most fires can be prevented with a few tips, however:

• Never leave burning candles unattended - especially if there are children or pets in the room.
• Place the Christmas tree away from walls and flammable objects, such as curtains.
• Dry trees and arrangements can catch fire very easily. Regularly spray your Advent wreath and Christmas tree with water.
• Children should be made aware of the dangers of fire as early as possible. Explain to your children that they must call for help immediately if there is a fire.
• Pay attention to the correct order when lighting and extinguishing the candles: lighting from top to bottom, extinguishing from bottom to top.
• Do not let wax candles burn down completely.
• Provide a fireproof underlay under the Christmas tree or Advent wreath.
• Always have a hand-held fire extinguisher, water bucket or fire blanket available as a preventive measure.

If there is a fire despite all the precautionary measures, the following behavioural measures must be observed and followed:

• Move away from the danger zone.
• Close all doors and windows.
• Alert the fire brigade and tell them all the details.
• Do not endanger yourself by trying to put out the fire yourself