There’s no place like home for the holidays and no better place to implement good fire safety practices. Follow these simple steps to help ensure your holiday is memorable for all the right reasons: - Make sure your home is protected by an adequate number of smoke alarms. Alarms should be installed on every level of the home, inside each bedroom, and outside each sleeping area.
- Test smoke alarms monthly to ensure they are working properly. Change the batteries at least once a year.
- Carefully inspect each electrical decoration and extension cord before use. Discard any damaged items.
- Avoid overloading electrical outlets, which can overheat and start a fire.
- If you purchase a live Christmas tree, check for freshness. Be sure to keep the stand filled with water.
- Place your tree and all decorations at least three feet away from heat sources.
- Consider using battery-operated candles instead of traditional candles. Never use burning candles on or near your tree.
- Turn off all decorations and extinguish candles before leaving the house or going to sleep.
- Never leave the kitchen when something is cooking.
- Have your heating system cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional at least once a year.
- Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn, such as bedding, curtains, clothing, and paper.
- Turn space heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
Fast Facts: - Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
- Children under five years old are almost one and a half times more likely to die in a home fire as the average person.
- The peak months for home fires that cause child casualties are December through February.
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