This is the time of year when people all over the Country pull out the boxes and storage tubs of decorations and start adding pizazz to their homes. Lights, trees, and knick-knacks are hung and places both inside and outside of the home to add the holiday ambience of the season.
As with any time of year, it is important to make safe decisions about the additions you make to your home. The holidays are a hectic time and there are often more people in your home than usual, so it is much easier for there to be an accident.
House fires are an especially devastating event for anyone to have to endure. Unfortunately, thousands of house fires occur each year, and many of them cause injury, or worse. Electrical fires are a leading cause of house fires annually, so it is important during this time of year to be especially cautious about using electricity.
Here are some safety tips to be thoughtful of this time of year:
- Check the strands of lights that you are using for any fraying or damage. Holiday lights are stored away for much of the year, putting them at risk for water and/or rodent damage. Make sure to look at the casing around the cords for any damage or tearing. If you are hanging holiday lights outside of your home, make sure to use the recommended methods (staple gun, small hooks, etc.) and never staple through the strand of lights, causing damage to the outer casing.
- If you have a live tree in your home, make sure to keep it well watered. If the tree is allowed to dry out, it becomes much more of a fire hazard. A dry tree with needles will easily catch on fire. Instead, keep plenty of water in the base of the tree so that the needles are not allowed to dry out.
- If you have an artificial tree in the house, there is still some concern of fire hazard. Just make sure that your tree is labeled fire retardant and, if it comes with lights already on it, they are certified UL (underwriters laboratory).
If you are spending these few weeks getting ready for the holidays, make sure that electrical and fire safety are in the back of your mind always. Don’t leave burning candles around the house unattended, make sure to use surge protectors if you have several items collected near one plug, and don’t use extension cords as a permanent electrical source.