How to SAFELY Deck the Halls this Holiday Season

12/9/2020 (Permalink)

While it's always important to be fire smart around your home, the team at SERVPRO of Glenview would like to gently remind you to be extra-cautious when decking out your home for the holidays.

Be aware of any fire dangers that may be present at this time, from holiday lights and decorations to your tree, from a crowded kitchen stovetop to lit candles in your home.

In today's blog post, we're focusing on fire prevention and fire safety when decorating for the upcoming holidays.

Your Christmas tree should bring joy and happiness to your home during the holidays; it should not be the cause of disaster or fire. These guidelines apply if you have an artificial tree, but additional precautions must be taken if you have a live tree.

• Never let your live tree dry out! Always keep it watered!
• Make sure your tree is at least 3ft away from any heat source
• Make sure your tree is not blocking an exit
• NEVER use or light candles on your tree!
• Inspect the lights you use to decorate your tree. 1 in every 4 home Christmas tree fires is caused by electrical problems.
• Holiday decorations come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and are used both indoors and outside. Be smart about choosing your holiday decorations, as well as where you place them.
• Choose flame-resistant or flame-retardant decorations whenever possible
• Use only UL approved, outdoor-rated lights when decorating the outdoors
• Use appropriate means of hanging your lights; for instance, use plastic clips, not metal nails
• Keep decorations away from windows and doors which are opened and closed frequently
• Be sure you don't overload your electrical circuit or connect too many strings of lights
• Replace damaged, worn, or old strings of lights and decorations. If possible, replace them with LED strings, as these pose less of a fire hazard.
• Unplug the strings of lights on a live tree right after the Christmas holiday, to minimize the chance that your drying tree catches an electrical spark and ignites.
• Lastly, dispose of your live tree as soon as it begins to dry out.

Look for more tips on holiday fire safety in our upcoming blog posts!

The National Fire Prevention Association works to educate the public about potential fire risks during the holidays, offering tip sheets, videos, and other resources. Learn more by visiting their website: http://bit.ly/2DXIx5Q

If the unthinkable should happen and you have a fire in your home during the holidays, know that you can call on SERVPRO® of Glenview to help clean up the fire and smoke damage. We are available 24/7/365 - call us at 847-832-9300.