Follow Fire Safety Tips - Keep the Yuletide Going

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Houses all over town are decked out in colorful lights, stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and if you’re lucky – you might even see a festive tree or candle display in your neighbors’ windows. Have you thought about Yuletide fire-safety?

The scenery is certainly beautiful, but let’s not forget many of these decorations can be dangerous if you don’t take the proper precautions. Faulty string lights, flammable ornaments, or unattended candles can quickly turn your happy holiday into a nightmare. According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 940 home fires started by Christmas trees and other holiday decorations each year between 2013 and 2017. Here are our tips to keep your yuletide celebrations fire-safe:

• When it comes to Christmas trees, both real and artificial trees pose their own dangers. If you’re planning on getting a real Christmas tree, choose one with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched. Be sure to water your tree daily and get rid of it after Christmas or when it has dried out. There is definitely less upkeep involved with an artificial tree, but you do need to check that the tree you’ve purchased is fire-resistant. 
• Regardless of the type of tree you choose, make sure the tree’s placement in your home isn’t blocking any exits, and it should be at least three feet away from any heat sources.
• Double-check if your lights are for indoor or outdoor use. Most indoor lights have thinner cords that can easily be damaged and become prone to fire when exposed to harsh weather conditions outdoors.
• Minimize the use of extension cords. And if you’re using power strips, no more than three electronics should be plugged into a single strip at a time.
• If you will be lighting candles, keep them on a surface far away from children, pets, and other flammable decorations like garlands, twigs, flowers, or the Christmas tree.
  • Never leave a lit candle unattended. Along with turning off your decorative lights, remember to blow out any lit candles before leaving your house or going to bed.
• Keep an eye on exactly where all that ripped gift wrapping paper is going. Never put wrapping paper into your fireplace or wood-burning stove; it can create a very hot and fast fire.

This year, we want to give you the gift of a safe and fire-free holiday. Here’s to Yuletide fire-safety. Rockingham Insurance is here to keep your home as safe as it is beautiful. To learn more about how to protect your home and family, contact a local Rockingham Insurance agent today.