Tis The Season For Holiday Safety & Fun - The City of Hollywood Has Something Hot To Tell You

December 19, 2024

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and warmth. Families gather around festive decorations, twinkling lights, and the comforting glow of candles and in some areas fireplaces. It’s fun to decorate for the winter holidays, but holiday decorations can increase your risk for a home fire. As you deck the halls this holiday season, the Department of Fire Rescue & Beach Safety has some tips to ensure your holidays are not only festive but also fire-safe.

Candle Caution: Almost half of the home decoration fires in December are started by candles, with Christmas Day as the peak day for candle fires. Think about using battery-operated flameless candles. Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that burns.

Mindful Lighting: Inspect holiday lights for frayed wires, broken bulbs, or any signs of damage before hanging them. Replace damaged lights immediately. Be sure to turn off holiday lights and decorations before going to bed or leaving the house. Consider using a timer to automate this process, ensuring your home is not unnecessarily exposed to electrical risks. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for the number of light strands to connect.

Tree Safety: A dry Christmas tree can burn very hot and very fast. Make sure your tree is at least 3 feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles or heat vents. Also, make sure your tree does not block exits. More than one in every five Christmas tree fires were caused by a heat source too close to the tree. Get rid of your tree after Christmas or when it is dry. (See below for tree recycling locations in Hollywood).

For more information on how to prevent winter fires, visit: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prevent-fires/holiday/ - And at: https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/put-a-freeze-on-winter-fires

Chip-a-Tree
After the holidays, Broward County Parks & Recreation is offering the annual Chip-a-Tree tree recycling program, where you can bring your tree to one of multiple Broward County parks to be recycled for free.

Hollywood Location: West Lake Park, 1200 Sheridan Street, Hollywood, Florida 33019; (954) 357-5161.

This season's program runs daily from Thursday, December 26th, 2024, through Monday, January 20th, 2025. Hours vary; call the park of your choice for details. Visit: www.broward.org/Parks/Pages/ChipATreeProgram.aspx for additional information.

Downtown Hollywood ArtWalk
Check out this weekend’s Downtown Hollywood ArtWalk - Saturday, December 21st, visit restaurants, galleries, and shops, while enjoying art, music, murals, outdoor markets, and more! For more information, list: http://www.hollywoodartwalk.com

ArtWalk Schedule
• Artisan Market: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
• Live Music: 6:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
• Mural Tour: 6:00 p.m.
• Gallery Tour: 7:00 p.m.
• Magic Show: 9:00 p.m.

SalsaFest is coming to Boulevard Heights
The Hollywood Salsa Festival is almost here and one of its founders Melina Almodovar is on mission to keep Salsa Music alive and well in our society by dedicating one day a year in the beautiful city of Hollywood, enjoying salsa music in all its forms. She welcomes all of you Salsa fans to the world of Rumba, Clave, and Guaguanco for the Hollywood West Salsa Fest - Celebrating Three Kings Day on January 4th, 2025 - 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Boulevard Heights Community Center Amphitheater 6770 Garfield Street, Hollywood, Florida 33924.

This event is free for all that want to enjoy the wonders of Salsa Music in all its forms Orchestras, dance performances, DJ’s and more.

For more information, call: (954) 399-0151.