The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can make it very easy to overlook some simple safety tips to ensure that your holiday is a happy one for you and your loved ones.
Indoor and outdoor decorations can really help you get into the holiday spirit, but it is important to take the necessary fire safety measures when using decorative lighting throughout your home. The winter season, accompanied by holiday lights and other decorative lighting, is the leading time of year for home fires.
Here are some tips to make sure your holiday season is nothing less than the most wonderful time of year.
- Holiday lights used to decorate the exterior of your home should be powered through a safe ground fault circuit interrupter (GCFI) outlet. A GCFI outlet will shut down a circuit if there is an overcurrent caused by plugging too many lights or electric decorations into one power source. This type of outlet could help prevent an electrical fire from occurring.
- Make sure to keep all wreaths and Christmas trees away from radiators, heating ducts, and open flames such as wood burning stoves or fireplaces. A dried tree or flammable decorations, or even flame resistant artificial trees can easily ignite, but this can just as easily be prevented with thoughtful placement. Also remember to keep trees out of doorways, exits, and frequently used walkways in the case of an emergency.
- It is important to test out your fire detection and alarm equipment throughout your home, checking batteries in fire detectors to make sure everything is in working order. Placing fire or smoke detectors in the correct locations throughout the different levels of your home, in halls, living areas, and bedrooms can help to notify you and your family of a possible fire.
If you would like to learn more about the ways you can improve the fire protection and notification systems in your home, for your family’s safety, contact us online, or call us at 203-785-0300.