How to Make Your Home Safe for the Holidays

The holidays are more than a time of spiritual celebration, family gatherings and personal reflections. Though I don't mean to sound like the Grinch, the holidays are also the worst time of the year for house fires, accidents, burglaries and other mishaps. For example, according to the National Fire Protection Association, four out of every seven home fires occur in the three months beginning in December.

Fortunately, there is much you can do to protect your home and your family this holiday season. Read on for some common-sense tips.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Common sense
• Fire extinguisher

1. 
   Home fires are worst in December

   Watch the open flames. If you burn candles, keep them away from children, anchor them securely in non-combustible holders, keep the wicks trimmed, and never leave them unattended or use them as tree decorations.

2. Use only laboratory-tested lights when trimming the holiday tree. There is a lot of dangerous junk coming in from overseas, more than just lead-based toys. Very often, low-budget imported electrical items do not meet quality safety standards.

3. 

   When decorating outside, use only lights labeled for outdoor use.

4. Secure outdoor lights using insulated staples or plastic holders (not nails or tacks) and make sure lights are held firmly in place and will not swing in the wind.

5. Make sure outdoor lights and decorations are plugged only into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI's). Portable GFCI's are available at most hardware stores.

6. Check all existing light strings for cracks, broken bulbs and exposed wires.

7. Use no more than three standard-length sets of lights per single extension cord.

8. 

   Do not overload electrical outlets or leave outdoor or indoor lights burning when we go to bed or are away from home.

9. If you use a live tree, make sure it is fresh and kept watered and away from open flames such as fireplaces or candles.

10. If you use an artificial tree, make sure it bears a "Fire Resistant" label.

11. 

    If you have an open-flame fireplace (wood or gas burning) either do not hang stockings over the fireplace. If you do, make sure the fireplace remains unlit.

12. If you have a wood-burning fire place, get it inspected annually. Buildup from creosote, carbon or animal nests can impair chimney performance and cause a fire.

13. If we use "fire salts" in our fireplace to create colored flames, handle them with care and keep them away from children. The chemicals in these salts can cause severe intestinal irritation if consumed.

14. Never burn wrapping papers or pine boughs in the fireplace. These can cause flash fires.

15. 

    Have smoke and carbon dioxide detectors and make sure they are working. (Many people replace the batteries every year on a specific date, such as New Year's Day).

16. Keep a multipurpose fire extinguisher on hand. This is the only type recommended for fighting wood, cloth, paper, oil, grease and electrical fires.

17. Make sure your home address is clearly visible from the street so that, if there is an emergency, responders can find the house easily.

Resources

• Consumer Product Safety Commission

[bmi57]

on 12/8/2007 Great advice. I think everyone should make copies of this and hand them out to loved ones.