Keep Your Home Safe from Fire Hazards During the Holidays
The holidays are around the corner! Although it is an exciting time to be with family and friends, more hazards become threatening to the well being of your home during this time. People spend more time indoors, cranking up the heat to combat colder weather, turning on more candles for a nice ambiance, and putting lights indoor and outdoor in the Christmas spirit. Although it is a great way to get in the holiday spirit, decorations may increase the chances of a fire hazard. Having the foresight to take every precaution to protect your home is essential for your peace of mind, and pocket.
Here are just a few tips to make sure your home is as safe as possible and lower the risk of a fire hazard:
Candles
Candles not only make your home smell amazing, but it is a nostalgic, cozy, and warm way to enjoy the holidays. However, it cannot be expressed enough how dangerous candles can be if left unsupervised. Make sure your candles are out before you leave your home or when you go to bed. The location of your candles is just as important. Keep your candles at least a foot away from any decorations or flammable items, and from windows and curtains. If you’d like to view alternatives to candles that don’t feel like a downgrade, we recommend reading this article by Apartment Therapy.
Christmas Trees
The iconic symbol of Christmas, the Christmas tree is restored in the homes of millions of Americans. Having a fresh Christmas tree requires maintenance to prevent a fire hazard. Make sure to regularly water your natural Christmas tree; a dried-up tree can easily catch fire with any spark or overheating of bulbs or string lights. Along the same lines, make sure you’re buying indoor and outdoor decorative lights from reputable brands and/or test all lights before hanging them. If you resort to buying an artificial Christmas tree, make sure it is made of a fire resistant material. Although taking these precautionary steps might seem tedious or more expensive, it’s well worth the time and monetary investment as you’re ensuring the wellbeing of your home and family. There is nothing more tragic than losing a home to something that could have been preventable.
Lights
Decorative lights need to be regularly checked out for frayed wires and damaged lights, all indicators of potential fire hazards. Regular inspections and making sure the lights do not overheat are all great preventative measures. Before you go on a ladder and sting up your Christmas lights, plug them in and thoroughly inspect them to make sure there are no broken bulbs that can potentially spark once they’re hung. If you haven’t upgraded yet, consider LED lights as these lights shine brighter, use less energy and do not heat up. For all your lights, make sure you’re not plugging too many strings of light into the same power outlet. Here is a detailed article that will help you determine how many Christmas lights are okay to string together.
Smoke Alarms
In the unfortunate event that a fire does start in your home, big or small, smoke alarms are vital to the protection of your home and everyone that lives there. Double-checking your smoke alarms regularly is good practice beyond the holiday session. Once you hear the smoke alarm beeping in short sequences, it is time for a battery change. Once you change your batteries, test your smoke alarm from time to time to ensure they are working properly.
Some of these tips may seem obvious and redundant but although it is common knowledge, it is not common practice. Putting these tips into practice can be the difference between enjoying the holidays with no issue or having to contact your home insurance provider.
For more information about other preventative measures beyond fire hazards be sure to check out this great article by Yale Security.
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