How to Keep Your Home Safe Over the Holidays- Avoid Most Common Causes of Holiday Fires and Emergencies

For many of us, the Winter Weather has begun. During the Winter months, more fires occur because more people are using their fireplaces and wood stoves.
Make sure you know how to keep your home and family safe during the Winter months, and especially during the Holiday season, when even more potential hazards are looming.
Here are a few reminders to keep your Holidays safe:

1. If you use your Fireplace or Wood Burning Stove - make sure the flue is open and put out the fire before going to bed.

2. Do not smoke in bed or when you may fall asleep.

Make sure you put out all cigarettes before leaving a room or going to sleep.

3. Lock up any matches or lighters in your home

Make sure no matches, lighters or other flammables are within reach of where your child might play with them. Ideally, you should have them in a locked cabinet.

4.Turn off Christmas Tree and Outdoor Lights before leaving home or going to bed
To be safe, it is best to only put on your lights when you will be home and awake.

• Make sure your Christmas Tree is several feet away from any heat sources, like a fireplace or heater.
• For Live Trees, make sure to cut off an inch or two from the bottom of the tree trunk.
• Keep Your Tree watered. Dried out trees are more likely to catch fire.
  

  5. Do Not Leave a Room while a Candle is Burning
  

  • Do not put a candle within reach, or the path of, a child or pet.
  • Blow out candles when you leave the room.

  6. Turn off Your Dryer when Leaving Your House (this is a cause of fires all year long)

  Remember to only run your dryer when you are home and to clean out the lint trap after running the dryer. You should also clean out the Dryer Coil several times a year. Check to make sure that the vent opening to the outside of your home is clear from obstructions, or a lint build-up, to minimize the chance of a fire starting in the dryer coil.

  Make sure you have a fire escape plan and go over it with all family members. Set up a fire drill to practice with your family and talk to your kids about staying low to the ground and that they should not hide. If a firefighter is looking for them, they will have on a big mask and children need to know they should not be afraid.
  
  Make sure you have tested, and replaced, old batteries with new batteries in all fire alarms. It is also important to install a Carbon Monoxide Detector because Carbon Monoxide can also kill, and it is odorless and a silent killer.

  For more Information about Fire Safety during the Holiday Season visit the National Fire Protection Agency's Site at:www.nfpa.org