As the much-anticipated holiday season approaches, families around the globe are gearing up to celebrate with friends and relatives. Many conversations surrounding these upcoming gatherings will center around buying new decorations, deciding who will prepare what dish and planning visits to see loved ones.
While these are all critical conversations, the topic of holiday fire safety shouldn’t get left behind. There are common holiday fire safety concerns that you can address today in your home or business.
Stay Safe During the Holidays
When paired with good year-round habits, these five tips from our team at A&A can ensure that you and your family have a safe, enjoyable holiday season:
1. Christmas Trees
Christmas trees are a staple of many families’ holiday celebrations. If you participate in this long-standing tradition, you know the importance of selecting the perfect tree. A full, lush Christmas tree can get everyone in the holiday spirit and serve as the centerpiece of your other decorations.
However, Christmas trees are also among the worst holiday fire safety culprits. When else do you bring a live tree into your home and keep it until it browns and dries out?
The good news is that avoiding this common fire hazard is relatively easy. First, ensure that you regularly water your tree to stay vibrant until New Year’s Day. Second, you should consider investing in a whole-home sprinkler system. A sprinkler system can protect you and your family from tragedy when other precautions fail.
2. Auxiliary Heat Sources
Breaking out those auxiliary heat sources is an excellent way of staying nice and toasty during frigid winter nights. Between heated blankets, space heaters, and fireplaces, there are plenty of options for keeping warm.
However, these items can be major holiday fire safety hazards, especially if they have gone unused for months. Avoiding these hazards only requires a bit of due diligence. Make sure that your chimney is free of blockages. Also, inspect the cords of your space heaters and blankets—if you notice any damage, toss them out to avoid electrical fires.
3. Unattended Candles
Candles are a universal holiday item. Regardless of which holiday traditions your family celebrates, candles probably play at least a small role in them. To limit candle-related holiday fire safety hazards, follow a few simple rules:
- Never leave an unattended candle burning
- If you have to leave your home, put all the candles out
- Keep all matches and lighters stored and away from children
Taking these precautions can allow you to enjoy your holiday decor with more peace of mind.
4. Overworked Outlets
Do you and your family go all-out for the holiday season? Is your yard typically filled with inflatables, lights, and other electric-powered items? If so, you probably use a network of extension cords and power strips to power your winter wonderland.
While there is nothing wrong with using a couple of power strips and a few extension cords, you must be careful not to go overboard. Ensure all power strips and extension cords are in good condition before plugging them in. Damaged cables can overload outlets, cause outages, or even start an electrical fire.
5. Culinary Mishaps
During the height of holiday meal prep, it is easy to lose track of time or forget to take your main course out of the oven. While accidentally ruining part of your dinner can be disappointing, it can also be outright dangerous. Culinary mishaps can lead to grease-fueled kitchen fires, which are notoriously tricky.
Before treating your home’s appliances like commercial-grade equipment, ensure they are spotless. Clean out all grease traps and keep a close eye on your food while it is cooking. Ask a family member to help you monitor your dishes and set backup timers if needed.
Protect Your Home or Business Today
These solutions can help reduce the risk posed by holiday fire safety hazards. However, the best way to protect your home and loved ones are to invest in a quality fire sprinkler system. Contact A&A Fire Protection today and schedule an appointment with one of our fire safety experts to learn more.
