Potential Holiday Fire Hazards and How to Make Sure Your Home is Prepared  

Decorating for the holidays with lights and greenery is a great way to make your home look festive and help you and your family enjoy the season. However, holiday decorating can also increase the fire hazards in your home. In fact, more that 1,000 families have a holiday season house fire each year, making it the most fire-prone time of year. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help keep your house safe (and festive) this holiday season.

Tips for preparing your home safely for the holiday season

1. Use flameless candles. The number of candle fires is four times higher during the holiday season than any other time of year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Eliminate this potential while still creating a warm and inviting atmosphere by using flameless LED candles.
2. Consider an artificial tree. While a live Christmas tree is charming, it can also be extremely flammable. After all, they make turpentine out of pine tree sap. Help prevent disaster by putting up your live tree just a few days prior to Christmas so it doesn’t have time to dry out and removing it promptly after the holiday. Also, make sure to water it daily and only choose a tree with its needles intact. Better yet, choose a life-like artificial tree.
3. Be careful with your holiday lights. While it’s tempting to use the same lights you’ve used for decades, it’s a good idea to discard any that have frayed plugs or cords. Even better, switch out your older lights with new LED lights. They generate much less heat and are less likely to cause the tree and fabric next to them to ignite.

To learn more about keeping your home safe from house fires, and to help with the cleanup in the event of a fire, contact ServiceMaster of Spartanburg. We’ve been helping South Carolina families like yours for more than 50 years.