How to Prevent Fire Damages from Happening During the Holidays

Types of Fire Damage

You may know that house fires during the holiday season are often caused by kitchen accidents and reckless use of home electrical systems. However, there are many other causes of fire damage in homes, such as cigarette-related fires. There are several types of fire damage in homes.

Also Read: What You Need to Know Before You Purchase a Fire Damaged Property

All types of fire damage come with their own problems. This is why it is essential to understand what they are and how they affect your home.

» Kitchen Fire

Cooking equipment malfunctions and unintended accidents in kitchens and other areas where you prepare meals, pose major risks to your property and family. The most common type of kitchen fire during holidays is a grease fire.

In most cases, this occurs because of leaving the frying pan unattended. Also, food items left unattended while being cooked or prepared and other human errors in installing, handling, or operating cooking devices may have incredibly destructive and serious consequences.

» Electrical Wiring Fires

You should know that electrical wiring that is improperly wired, has not been regularly maintained, or degraded can be a major vulnerability in your home. Did you know that using bulbs with a higher power rating than recommended can also cause fires? This is why you should make sure that all wiring and electrical parts and components are operational and kept up to code.

» Cigarette-Related Fires

Improper or unsafe disposal of cigarettes and cigarette smoke damage are also big causes of concern. It is worth noting that each year, about 1,000 people die in fires caused by cigarettes. You should always extinguish cigarettes before discarding them in waste bins or dumpsters.

Smoke outside and have one or more fire-resistant containers to dispose of your cigarette butts. These are some simple ways to avoid having to make expensive smoke damage removal and cigarette smoke damage restorations.

» Heater and Furnace Fires

You may know that heaters, furnaces, and boilers carry unique risks and concerns if not correctly installed, regularly cleaned, or kept up to code. The risk of fire is higher, especially during the winter months. This is because more people rely on portable heaters. Proper maintenance and servicing of all heating systems are crucial to keeping your family and home safe.

Tips on How to Prevent Fire Damage in Your Home During the Holidays

From cooking to holiday decorations and fireworks, numerous activities happen in your house between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day that can result in fire. To keep you and your loved ones safe, here are some tips for a fire-free and joyous holiday season.

Also Read: How Your Home Can Be Restored after Fire Damages

» Fire Safety Tips for Thanksgiving

• Stay in your kitchen or cooking area while grilling, frying, or broiling food. Never leave the kitchen unattended. You should turn off your stove if you have to step away from the kitchen.
• Install smoke and fire alarms in your home. Also, test your alarms regularly and replace them according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.
• If you’ve small children or pets, you should keep them three feet (at least) away from the stove to prevent burns. The splash or steam from vegetables, coffee, or gravy can cause severe burns.
• Roll up your sleeves to reduce the risk that they will catch fire.
• Don’t use the stove if you’re tired, sleepy, or have consumed alcohol. Being impaired or reckless can affect your actions and may lead to serious mishaps.
• When cooking, always keep a lid nearby to smother a small grease fire
• Have a comprehensive fire escape plan for each room and ensure that your family and guests know the plan.

» Fire Safety Tips for Christmas

According to the NFPA website, between 2015 and 2019, US fire departments responded to 950 house fires (an average) per year caused by Christmas decorations.

Here are a few tips and measures to prevent fires this Christmas:

• Be careful with Christmas lights and holiday decorations. Choose holiday decorations that are flame-retardant or flame resistant.
• Keep all lit candles away from Christmas decorations and other items that can burn.
• Keep a portable fire extinguisher in your kitchen.
• Replace any string of lights with broken or worn cords or loose bulb connections.
• Stay in the kitchen when cooking and preparing food, and keep Christmas decorations away from the stovetop.
• Use clips instead of nails to hang lights, so the cords don’t get damaged.
• Keep decorations away from doors and windows.
• Frequently water your live Christmas trees in order to keep them from getting dry and flammable.
• Check your Christmas lights for any frayed or damaged wires. Note that poorly kept Christmas lights may become a hazard for your home.
• Keep all candles out of reach of small children and pets.
• Keep Christmas trees three feet from any heat source.

» Fire Safety Tips for New Year’s

From greasy food items cooked on the stove to oven-baked yummy snacks loaded with cheese, New Year’s is all about binging and enjoying your favorite foods. However, with all the grease around the stove top, a grease fire may spring up and spread quickly if you don’t watch the food carefully. Use these tips to stay safe.

• Do not leave stovetop cooking, microwave cooking, or oven baking unattended.
• Make sure that your fire extinguisher is working properly and is up to date.
• Test to ensure that you really know how to use a fire extinguisher.
• Check smoke detectors in the kitchen and throughout your home.
• Keep lighters and matches up high, ideally in a locked cabinet.
• Follow the NFPA’s heater checklist when buying and setting up a space heater in your home.
• Always unplug space heaters when they are not being used or when your house is empty.
• Keep fireworks away from kids and any building structures, and do not set them off in or near dry brush.
• When using electrical appliances, use only UL-approved power strips.
• Know the load limits of your power strip. Do not plug multiple devices into the same power strip.

What to Do in Case There’s a Fire

While prevention is the best step toward fire safety, in case of a fire in your home, you must know exactly what to do. So, let’s go through the steps to stay safe.

If you hear your smoke alarm or discover a fire:

• Don’t panic and tell everyone in your home
• If you’ve a fire, leave your house immediately
• Use a planned escape route to get everyone out of the building
• Find shelter somewhere safe and wait for the fire service to arrive
• Smoke always rises, so either stay low or crawl on the floor
• Call a fire and smoke damage restoration specialist
• Don’t stop to collect any possessions or valuables

Other Holiday Safety Tips and Cold Weather Precautions

• If a pan catches on fire, don’t pour water on it since this may cause burning oil and other ingredients to splash and cause severe injuries.
• Have your chimney and fireplace inspected and cleaned by a trained professional.
• Have your furnace or boiler inspected and cleaned every year.
• Place a protective screen around your fireplace to prevent embers from popping out on flammable materials.
• In case of a fire, hire 24/7 emergency fire damage repair services.

Summing Up

The best and simplest way to ensure fire protection is by preventing home fires in the first place. Small steps add up to a safer home for you and your family. Enjoy the holiday season and create lasting memories, however, use the above tips to keep yourself and your loved ones safe during the holidays.

If your property has sustained fire damage and you want advice or professional help on dealing with your insurance provider or how the restoration should be carried out, please contact Conejo Restoration for fire damage restoration services. The fire damage restoration experts at Conejo Restoration will work with you to ensure your home is back to normal as quickly as possible.

If you are looking for fire damage restoration near me, you can rely on Conejo Restoration at (805) 338-6653 anytime for 24/7 emergency restoration and containment services. Conejo Restoration is a family-owned and operated one-stop environmental inspection service company specializing in fire damage restoration. Count on our fast and dependable service so you can safely go back into your home.