Disaster Kleenup Specialists of California would like to share with you important holiday home safety tips to prevent accidental fires, power outages, and other winter disasters that could affect your home during the cold winter months. Festive family activities, decorations, dry Christmas trees, tinsel, and other holiday decorations could cause disaster. It’s also getting cold outside and home heating can cause a range of dangerous issues. We’re here with tips to keep your home safe this holiday season.
Protect Your Home From Christmas Tree Fires
Winter welcomes a host of dangers for homeowners who have not taken extra precautions to keep Christmas tree lights from malfunctioning or ill-placed candles and burners from catching fire. Usually, electrical malfunctions are the cause of most Christmas tree fires. When deciding where to put your fresh cut or synthetic Christmas tree, consider how close it is to any fireplaces, candle flames, heaters, or any other source of a potential fire. Follow these tips for optimal safety:
- Water your Christmas tree regularly.
- Check string lights for frayed or bare wires.
- Don’t run electrical cords under rugs.
- Turn off string lights when sleeping or away from the house.
Recycle Your Christmas Tree
Just as important as it is to keep your fresh cut Christmas tree well watered, you should also plan on removing the tree from your home as soon as it looks dry. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), you should remove it after 4 weeks roughly the week after Christmas. Proper disposal of dry Christmas trees is important as leaving dry trees on front lawns and in convenient public access can lead to easy prey for arsonists. The best way to dispose of Christmas trees is to cut it into smaller manageable pieces that can be easier to store and recycle properly, as it may also be dangerous to burn in your fireplace.
Sweep & Inspect Chimney Before Lighting Fires
Not only is it important to consider fire safety for holiday decorations its also important to remember to clean out your fireplace before starting a fire. Disaster Kleenup Specialists would like to remind you to remove all paper decorations, dry wreaths, Christmas stockings, or tinsel from around the fireplace before starting a fire this holiday. Chimneys should be cleaned and inspected at least once a year to remove soot, creosote, glaze, and other debris. Further, it’s important to make sure the flue of your fireplace is not cracked. Burning wrapping paper causes greater damage to the chimney as it releases creosote deposits hot enough to cause a chimney fire. Avoid burning wrapping paper and consider reusing or recycling instead.
At Disaster Kleenup Specialists We Wish You A Safe Holiday
With these holiday safety tips, you can prevent a home disaster. Contact Disaster Kleenup Specialists in Monterey if you experience any damage to your home due to fire, water, wind, or any other natural disaster.