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Holiday Fire Safety Tips
Holiday Fire Safety
The holiday season approaches very quickly and it can bring a flurry of activity. Decorations, inside and out, may change often for several months. Activities, parties, and meals come and go, as do family and friends. Without adding more stress to your holiday planning, let us give you some quick reminders to help you keep your holiday season safer.
Check Your Smoke Alarms
- Smoke alarms have a test button, so check each alarm to make sure they are functioning properly. Be prepared, since they are loud and you are close.
- Smoke alarms have a limited useful life-cycle—approximately 10 years. Replace any fire alarms that no longer function.
- Change smoke alarm batteries annually. When the battery is low, they give off a short beep as an indicator. However, they continue to beep until you change the battery. No one gets rest if an alarm begins beeping at 3 am and continues to beep until you get back from the all-night drug store with replacement batteries.
- Smoke alarms save lives. Make sure your alarms are in working order before the holiday season begins.
Holiday Fire Safety: Be Mindful of Decorations
- While you carefully decorated, with an eye for aesthetics, remember to decorate with safety in mind. Make sure decorations do not block exits, hallways, or access to fire extinguishers. Do not cover smoke alarms with decorations. Keep a distance between fire sources, such as fireplaces and candles, and flammable decorations.
- Lit candles add atmosphere, make rooms smell good, and aid in worship/celebration. Candles can also cause house fires. Make sure to extinguish candles before going to bed or leaving home. Be careful with candles in close proximity to young children; the flickering light will attract their attention.
- If decorating includes a real tree, do so with caution. Make sure the tree gets plenty of water for as long as it takes water. Check wires on light strings, inspecting for loose sockets or frayed wires. Turn lights off overnight and when the house is vacant.
Holiday Fire Safety: Kitchen Safety
- Whether baking cookies with children or preparing special meals, expect to spend more time in your kitchen. Stovetops and ovens, of necessity, are a heat—sometimes a flame—source. This deserves special attention.
- Keep children safe while in the kitchen, away from moving parts and hot surfaces.
- As you are cooking, make sure that you keep flammable items away from heat sources. Do not leave cooking food unattended.
- Take one last check of the kitchen before you leave home or retire for the evening.
Holiday Fire Safety: Space Heater Safety
- If you use a space heater during the holidays, be especially careful; read the instruction manual to ensure safe usage.
- Keep anything that might catch on fire the proper distance away from the heater, including curtains, furniture, and clothing.
- Place the space heater outside of traffic patterns and away from young children.
- Make sure to turn the heater off when you leave the room and do not leave the heater on overnight.
Have questions about Holiday Fire Safety?
Call Fire Safe Protection Services today at 713-722-7800 or visit our online form and we will be in contact as soon as possible about Holiday Fire Safety.