The holidays are here, and that means it’s time for an annual review on holiday fire prevention. There are even some ways you can work alongside your home security system to have a safer holiday season. But to start, check out these startling facts regarding holiday fire risks:

• Thanksgiving is the most common day of the year for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and the day before Thanksgiving when much of the food prep for Thanksgiving is being done.
• U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated 1,570 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving in a single year.
• By far and wide, unattended cooking is the leading factor in cooking fires and house fire-related deaths.
• Cooking equipment is involved in almost half of all reported house fires and house fire injuries annually, and it is the second leading cause of house fire-related deaths.

Source: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Holiday Fire Prevention Advice

Taking these facts into consideration, the NFPA instructs people to:

• Stay in the kitchen while cooking on the stove top, whether it is gas or electric.
• Stay in the house when cooking in the oven, and open the oven often to check on the progress.
• If using a turkey fryer, always fry outdoors. Never fry a bird indoors, and never fry it while it’s frozen (this is a major fire risk unto itself).
• Keep the floor clean; toys, decor and gifts piled up throughout the house can be fire risks and obstruct exits.
• Keep natural Christmas trees watered, and make sure all trees (natural and artificial) are at least three feet away from any heat source (including lights, candles and heating vents).
• Make sure trees are not blocking any exits in the home.
• Use the correct lights for the area you are illuminating, whether it’s indoors or out.
• Replace any lights with broken or loose bulbs; do not use lights with broken cords.
• Never use real candles on or near a tree.
• Always turn string lights and other electrical decorations off before leaving the house or going to bed.

Following these holiday fire prevention tips can help your family to enjoy a safer, more memorable holiday season. To discuss using your home security system to make the season even safer, contact Security Instrument. We will be glad to answer your questions.

About Security Instrument

Security Instrument is a full-service, independently-owned security integrator that offers numerous electronic security options. We serve thousands with both commercial and home security in Delaware, MD, NJ & PA.