12/11/2013 9:44:00 AM by Dave Reed Insurance
The holidays are a peak time of year for the risk of home fires. Festivities and decorations are frequently the source of these tragedies. Cooking, Christmas trees, decorations, and candle usage are the major contributors to home fires. Your chances for a fire increase when you’re rushing around during the holidays and being distracted, or tired. Fire safety tips, published by the National Fire Protection Association, provide homeowners with a little awareness to prevent home fires.
Cooking fires are the greatest cause for home fires.
Stay in the kitchen when you’re frying, grilling or broiling food. Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop and turn off the burners when you leave the kitchen. If you are simmering, boiling, baking or roasting food, check it frequently and use a timer to sound a reminder when things should be done. Keep a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove where hot food or drinks are being prepared or carried.
December is the peak month for home candle fires.
Statistics show that two-of-every-five home decoration fires are started by candles. Local fire department personnel recommend using battery operated, flameless candles. Some are even made with fragrance, so they smell good. If you use traditional candles, keep them at least 12” from anything that can burn, blow them out when you leave the room or go to bed. Fire Safety discourages candle use in bedrooms, where one third of US candle fires begin. Also, never leave a child alone in a room with a burning candle.
One out of every three home Christmas tree fires is caused by electrical problems.
Check electrical wires for frays and never link more than three strands together. If your tree is live, keep it away from heat sources or exits and water it daily. After the holidays, get rid of live trees. They become a fire hazard with age. Also, remember to bring in your holiday lights to make them last longer.
This is the ninth year for the annual “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign.
Every time firefighters respond to a residential fire in Escambia County, one of the green lights on the displayed wreaths, will be replaced by a red one to remind us of the dangers of fire during the holidays.
Dave Reed Insurance, the Peace of Mind People, wish you all a safe and peace filled holiday season. If we can be of help with your insurance questions, feel free to phone us at 850 494-2264 (Creighton Rd.) or 850-543-8555 (N. Navy Blvd.)
http://www.nfpa.org/holiday
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/holiday-seasonal/holiday.shtm