By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
RANDALL'S ISLAND — The FDNY wishes New Yorkers a holiday that is merry and bright — just not so bright that it's on fire.
To make the point, firefighters at the department's Randall's Island academy on Monday set up a beautiful Christmas tree with outdoor lights, surrounded by wrapped-gifts and decorations. Then they lit it on fire.
The tree, and everything around it, was quickly consumed in flames.
"In my 41 years in the fire department as a fire officer, a firefighter and a chief, I responded to many fires that contained Christmas trees," FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said. "In fact, there were a number of fatalities," he said.
Leaving candles unattended, using outdoor Christmas lights indoors, forgetting to water trees and leaving space heaters too close to blankets and other flammables can cause holiday fires, said Lt. Anthony Mancuso of the safety unit.
In order to prevent flare-ups around the city, the department recommended keeping live trees indoors for no longer than a week, keeping matches and lighters out of the reach of children and monitoring open flames.
"With a little precaution the holidays can be safe, joyous and a lot of fun," Cassano said.
