Safeguarding Your Home: Preventing Holiday Fires

The approaching holiday season brings joyous moments, with family gatherings, cozy fireside scenes, and the sweet melodies of Christmas filling the air. However, it's important to be aware that this time of year also brings an increased risk of home fires, particularly in the kitchen and living room areas.

Thankfully, there are simple yet effective precautions you can take to ensure the safety of your family and home. Crosscountry Mortgage is here to provide you with valuable tips to prevent holiday home fires.

Thanksgiving Fires Did you know that Thanksgiving experiences a peak in home cooking fires? In 2018, fire departments across the United States responded to over 1,600 incidents of home cooking fires. Surprisingly, the leading cause in most of these cases was unattended cooking. While many kitchen fires may start as accidents, most could have been avoided if an adult had been regularly monitoring the cooking process.

Here are a few essential tips to keep your Thanksgiving meal safe:

1. Stay present in your home while cooking the turkey, checking on it frequently.
2. Continuously monitor stovetop foods, ensuring you never leave the kitchen unattended.
3. Keep children at least three feet away from the stove or oven at all times.
4. Safeguard electrical cords by keeping them out of reach of children and pets.
5. Never leave children alone in the kitchen while using the stove or oven.
6. Prior to Thanksgiving, clear the kitchen and dining room floor of any debris that could cause an adult or child to trip.
7. Test your smoke alarms beforehand and have spare batteries readily available.
8. Familiarize yourself with the functioning of each kitchen appliance before use. New gadgets like air fryers or crockpots may have additional settings you're not aware of.

Remember, it is crucial to avoid trying to tackle fires that are beyond your capacity to handle. Small stovetop fires can be controlled by sliding a lid over the pan or smothering the flames and turning off the heat. In the case of oven fires, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. If a fire appears too dangerous to manage alone, evacuate your home immediately and call 911 from a safe location outside. Never jeopardize the safety of your loved ones for the sake of property.

Holy Smokes! Our Fire Safety Checklist for the Holiday Home

Christmas Fires Christmas is a time of joy and togetherness, and the last thing you want is to worry about a home fire. However, accidents can still happen. On average, firefighters respond to over 150 Christmas tree fires each year. When considering other fire risks associated with Christmas, such as candles, kitchen mishaps, and electrical fires caused by worn-out or outdated decorations, the number of home fires increases significantly.

To ensure a safe and festive holiday season, we strongly recommend taking extra precautions while decorating and celebrating. Here are some essential steps you can take:

Christmas Trees When selecting and setting up your Christmas tree:

1. Choose a fresh tree with green needles that don't easily fall off when touched.
2. Trim the bottom 2 inches of the tree trunk before placing it in a stand.
3. Position the tree at least 3 feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, or heat vents. Also, make sure the tree does not block any exits.
4. Use only indoor lights for decorating the tree and avoid using lit candles.
5. Replace any string of lights that have frayed cords or loose bulb connections.
6. Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving the house or going to bed.
7. Water your tree daily to prevent it from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.

Holiday Decorations and Events While many homeowners are diligent in securing their trees, it's important not to overlook other potential fire hazards in your home during the holiday season. For instance, December has four times the likelihood of candle fires compared to other months. Consider the following tips to keep your home festive and safe:

1. Check all decorations, including new items, for frayed or pinched wires.
2. Keep decorations at least 3 feet away from open flames and other heat sources.
3. Avoid running multiple extension cords together or underneath rugs.
4. Reserve outdoor lights strictly for outdoor decorations.
5. Never leave Christmas lights or kitchen appliances in use (stove, oven, etc.) on while asleep or when leaving the house.
6. Use clips instead of nails to hang Christmas lights, preventing damage to cords.
7. Encourage smokers to smoke outside and provide them with large, deep ashtrays.

While it is impossible to predict or prevent every home fire, you can take additional precautions to ensure your safety and the safety of others. For more information about home safety during the holiday season, visit nfpa.org.

Now, if you're ready to create lasting holiday traditions in your own home, let Crosscountry Mortgage assist you. Connect with one of our licensed Mortgage Advisors today.