Common Sense Safety Tips For a Safe Holiday Season in and Around Your Home

Common sense safety tips for a safe holiday season in and around your home. The upcoming holiday season will be a joyous occasion for millions around the world, and carries with it responsibility for home owners to help ensure home safety. The months of November, December and January are always the largest for home related fires and a number of these could be prevented by following some simple safety guidelines and planning ahead to make sure your home is protected.

Homeowners who are planning to place exterior lights and electronic decorations from their homes should thoroughly inspect the electrical wiring and connections to make certain there are no frayed or damaged parts that could cause an electrical spark with water. Securely fasten lights to trees or gutters and avoid dangling electrical lines that could become a walking hazard. Electrical lines should be connected to exterior grade extension cords and ideally routed into an outside electric box that has a separate fuse, try to limit the number of light strings to no more than three strings per line. Electrical lights should not be left on all night and should be turned off when the home owner is not at home to monitor.

Your homes interior can also present many potential fire safety concerns. Purchasing a real holiday tree is a tradition for many and choosing the right type of tree can help keep your family safe. When you start shopping for a tree it is important to look for trees that have a strong green color. A good way to check for the dryness of a tree is to examine the needles and look for discoloration, if you are easily able to pull the needles off of a tree, this is a signal that the tree is likely dried out and poses a potential fire hazard. The needles from the tree should be soft and not easily breakable with your fingers. The base of the tree should be sticky and have some resin. If you are going to a tree farm where you can cut down your own tree, this eliminates a number of areas of concerns, but be certain to choose a tree that is appropriate in size for your home. The holiday season should be filled with joy, following a few practical ideas can help ensure you make it through the holidays without any self produced fire work displays.