Celebrate Safely this Holiday Season
With the holidays coming up soon, it’s important to be aware of fire safety so that you and your family can enjoy the season in a safe way. During the holiday season, it’s important to be careful with decorations, cooking, and other things that could start fires.
Decorating with Fire Safety in Mind
Christmas trees and other holiday decorations can be pretty to look at, but they need to be used safely. Some tips for decorating for the holidays are:
- Choose decorations that are flame-resistant or flame-retardant;
- keep lit candles away from decorations;
- turn off all string lights before going to bed;
- blow out lit candles before going to bed or leaving the room;
- make sure Christmas trees are at least three feet away from any heat source;
- Regularly water your Christmas tree.
- Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose connections between bulbs.
Prevent Holiday Cooking Fires
Most home fires and burns happen when people are cooking. These safety tips will help you stay safe while cooking for the holidays:
- Stay in the kitchen while frying, boiling, or broiling food.
- Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop.
- Use a timer to remind yourself that food is cooking.
- Don’t use the stovetop if you are sleepy or have been drinking.
Fireplace Safety
Gathering around the fireplace during the winter holidays can be a nice way to warm up. Here are some safe ways to use a fireplace:
- Keep things that can burn at least three feet away from the fire.
- Use a fire screen to keep embers from escaping.
- Make sure all embers are out before you go to bed.
- Have your fireplace or wood stove inspected before you use it.
Test Smoke Detectors & Know Fire Escape Plan
Before you have people over for the holidays, you should make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors work. Replace the batteries if they are dead. Make sure your guests know how to get out of your house in case of a fire. This way, they will know what to do if something goes wrong.