The holiday season is one of the most magical times of the entire year. But unfortunately, it’s also a time when more fires than usual tend to happen inside of homes all across the country. Christmas trees, Christmas lights, and other Christmas and holiday decorations can present serious problems for homeowners and can all start fires if you aren’t careful. Here are some fire prevention tips that will help you avoid encountering a disaster this holiday season.
Inspect your Christmas lights before putting them up.
Christmas lights can cause a fire if they have loose connections or frayed cords. Therefore, before you put them on your Christmas tree or hang them outside on your home, you should take a good, hard look at them to see if they have any obvious signs of damage. If you suspect that they aren’t working properly, throw them out and buy new ones. The extra expense will be well worth the peace of mind you get from knowing your lights won’t start a fire.
Try not to use real candles as decorations.
Real candles might look nice when they are all lit up around the holidays, but because of all the other types of holiday lighting that will be up, it can be easy to forget that you have a candle going. Moreover, if that happens, it can result in a fire. About 40 percent of the fires that start around the holidays are due to the use of candles. If you can, try not to incorporate real candles into your holiday decorations this year.
Water your Christmas tree and keep it away from heat sources.
If you decide to place your Christmas tree near a heating vent, make sure that vent is closed before you do. Heat can dry out your tree and make it more susceptible to a fire. Speaking of your tree drying out, you should make every effort to water your Christmas tree regularly. Otherwise, it will become very dry and will definitely catch on fire should one start in your home.
In addition to following these tips, you should also check your fire alarms around the holidays and replace them if they aren’t working properly. Check out the fire alarms Life Safety Consultants has in stock and call 888-557-0558 today if you would like to order one.
