Holiday Fire Safety

12/14/2020 (Permalink)

Stay Safe This Holiday Season!

It’s that time of year where we are all full of Christmas cheer! Even though the holidays are a bit different this year, safety is still a must. Christmas decorations are what help make the season bright, but they also present fire risks that can turn into a holiday disaster.

Here are holiday fire facts by the National Fire Prevention Association:

• Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in almost half of home Christmas tree fires.
• More than two of every five (42%) home Christmas tree fires started in the living room. Five percent were chimney or flue fires. One-fifth (21%) of the decoration fires started in the kitchen. Sixteen percent started in the living room, family room or den.
• Half (51%) of December home decoration fires were started by candles, compared to one-third (32%) in January to November.
• Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in almost half (45%) of home Christmas tree fires.
• More than one-fifth (22%) of the Christmas tree fires, some type of heat source, such as a candle or equipment, was too close to the tree.

SERVPRO Holiday Safety Tips:

• Check wiring on lights for breaks and wear. Replace worn strings and don’t exceed manufacturer guidelines for connecting multiple strands of lights. Don’t leave tree lights plugged in when you are away from home or when you go to bed.
• Keep live trees well-watered to reduce the chance of a fire.
• Use flameless candles. If you do use traditional candles, burn them in sturdy candleholders, well away from drapes and other flammable materials, and never leave them unattended or allow them to burn down to less than one inch in length.
• Keep all decorations away from heat sources like radiators, portable heaters, fireplaces, etc.

It only takes a moment’s distraction or carelessness to turn a holiday celebration into a catastrophe. We hope these tips will be a reminder to families everywhere to make fire prevention a priority in their holiday preparations, so they can spend the season enjoying family and friends, not dealing with the aftermath of a fire.