Stay safe while decorating and entertaining for the holidays

11/28/2015 (Permalink)

Source - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Candle_light,_pillar_candle.jpg

The holidays are finally here meaning lots of food, family, celebrations and decorations. Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it’s time to prepare for the next big holiday! This time of year can seem like the busiest, from longer work hours to trying to find the perfect gift for loved ones. Don’t let the running around fog your mind. It’s important to keep safety forefront during this time of year to avoid fire damage incidents. RedCross gives some fire safety tips to keep in mind while decorating and entertaining for the holidays.

1.    Keep children, pets and decorations away from lit candles

This is the perfect time of year to light your Christmas scented candles to fill the home with a welcoming and cozy aroma. As you're placing your candles around the home, make sure that they are set in safe locations out of the reach of children, pets and decorations.

2.    Remain in the home and set a timer while cooking

Cooking is one of the most time consuming tasks around the holidays, so it’s understandable that people try to multitask as much as possible while making meals. It’s easy to forget that something may be in the oven when you have a lot of other things to focus on. Set a timer and make sure to stay in the home when cooking meals.

3.    Choose decorations that are flame resistant

There are plenty of decorations to choose from every year and as the years go by, companies are coming up with safer ways to decorate your home. While searching for new decorations, try to find ones that are fire resistant or retardant. Also keep in mind to place trees away from heat sources, exits and water real trees daily.

4.    Never leave fireplaces or portable heaters unattended

Sometimes having a portable heater running can go unnoticed or forgotten about. Set yourself a reminder or timer to remember to turn off the heater or fireplace, especially before heading off to bed for the night.

5.     Do not light the fireplace where stockings are hung

Many people hang their stockings traditionally over the fireplace every year. As this a great decoration, make sure to not use the fireplace while the stockings are hanging. The smallest ember can fly up and land on a stocking and start a fire.