Tis the season! Time for putting up decorations and getting in the festive mood – but how can you be sure to keep your home safe this holiday season? House fires increase significantly during the month of December. Think about it, especially if you have gone out and picked that perfect fresh Christmas tree to bring home and decorate – there can be fire hazards all around. Some things to watch out for during the holiday season:
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Check all of your string lights. Ensure there are no empty sockets or frayed wires. And be sure to always turn off your lights when leaving your home or going to bed.
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Have 12 strings of lights, stereo for your ambient Christmas music, phone charger and curling iron to plug into the same outlet? Just because you have a power bar with room for 10 plugs, it does not mean it is always safe to do so. It all depends on the amount of AMPS going through your outlets, and hopefully if you have too much going through, the breaker will trip instead of causing a fire, but this is not always the case. Always pay attention to how much you are plugging into one outlet – buy an extension cord and spread your plug in items around to other outlets to avoid a possible fire hazard.
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Ensure your real tree is watered regularly, and does not become too dry. Pine needles falling off everywhere? Not only is this a nuisance, but this is an indication that your tree is too dry. It won't take much for your dry tree to be engulfed in flames should it catch fire.
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Who doesn't love the smell of a fragrant gingerbread candle at Christmas? Christmas is the time for burning candles too, and of course these can be a danger on their own, but can be an extra danger if they are burning close to your extra dry Christmas tree. Or even in the same area as your tree – what happens when Frisky starts getting frisky with your tree and knocks it over into your burning candle?
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Have outdoor lights to get you into the spirit? Any outdoor decorations that need to be plugged in should always be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI's).
So there you have it – keep yourself and your home safe this holiday season with these safety tips – and HAPPY DECORATING!!!
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