Fire Safety Tips for Passover Holiday

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano and FDNY Chaplain Rabbi Joseph Potasnik share Passover fire safety tips at Engine Co. 24 & Ladder Co. 5 in Manhattan

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano and FDNY Chaplain and New York Board of Rabbis Executive Vice President Joseph Potasnik on April 3 urged those celebrating Passover to use extra caution when carrying out the Passover ritual of burning leavened bread.

“This is a very important holiday and a very enjoyable time when friends and family come together to share in traditions that have lasted for thousands of years,” Commissioner Scoppetta said during a press conference at the quarters of Engine 24 and Ladder 5 in Manhattan. “But as people gather all across New York to celebrate the holiday, we hope everyone will please take a few moments to be sure they’re not putting themselves or others at risk.”

Rabbi Potasnik demonstrated the proper way to burn bread, using a metal can, a screen to prevent stray embers and newspaper instead of dangerous accelerants like lighter fluid.

In 2004, five people were seriously burned when a man poured paint thinner on a ceremonial fire in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and in 2005, three children from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, died in a fire caused by stovetop burners left on during the holiday.

Learn more about how to keep your home safe during the holidays