Avoiding House Fires This Holiday Season
As a Dana Point accident attorney, we know that the holidays are a very special time of year for everyone. So as your Dana Point accident attorney, we put together some tips to staying safe this holiday season.
Christmas is in just 25 days! Yes, it’s only 25 more sleeps until Christmas day. Which quite possibly means that, if you haven’t already, you are most likely decorating your home for this upcoming holiday season.
Here are some ways to keep the house fire-free this holiday season:
- If you are getting a tree:
- fresh trees are less likely to catch on fire than ones that are dryer or shedding regularly
- make sure to place the tree away from any heat sources such as heaters, fireplaces, radiators, candles, etc.
- throw out any old or damaged Christmas lights
- try to keep all holiday candles away from the Christmas tree and decorations
- don’t forget to turn the lights off or blow out the candles before going to bed
- trees begin to dry out after 4 weeks, so don’t forget to take it down after the holidays
- artificial trees, though they may not have the fresh pine-tree smell, pose less of a fire hazard
- Cooking is perhaps the top cause of fires during the holidays – the most common reason is that food is left unattended and forgotten about
- take a pot holder with you with you go into the other room – do this as a reminder that you have food in the oven
- make sure to keep fire extinguisher in the kitchen – one that is rated for all kinds of fires and make sure that the smoke detectors are working properly
- if you are planning on deep-frying your holiday turkey, it is best to do it outside on a flat, level surface that is at least 10 feet away from the house
- Fireplace safety
- soot can harden chimney walls and can be flammable
- so it is wise to have your chimney inspected to see if it needs cleaning before you use it
- make sure to screen the fireplace to prevent any embers from popping out onto the carpet
- do not use flammable liquids to start a fire in the fireplace – only burn seasoned wood – not wrapping paper
- soot can harden chimney walls and can be flammable
These are just a few tips to help everyone get through the holidays without starting an accidental fire.