Preventing Fire Damage During the Holidays

The holiday season is great for spending time with your family members and the people you love. One thing that can ruin a holiday season is a fire in your Wichita home. However, there are a few tips you can do to help prevent a fire damage cleanup and have a happy and safe holiday.

Keep Candles Away from Flammable Material

A great way to reduce the potential of a fire damage cleanup is to be careful where you place candles in your Wichita home. Many homeowners use decorative tablecloths and place the candle on top of the decorative cloth. However, hot wax or candle residue could drop onto the cloth and catch fire. Always be sure to keep your candle at least one-foot away from anything that could catch fire or burn. Having your candles on a study base will help reduce the risk of having children or pets knocking the candle over onto the floor. Before going to bed, walk around your house and make sure all of your candles are blown out. Never leave candles unattended for any reason.

Prevent Electrical Fires

Decorating your home with lights is a great way to show the holiday spirit. However, according to the US Department of Energy, the number one cause of a fire around the holiday seasons are caused by electrical fires due to overloaded outlets. A great way to help prevent this from happening is to never use old or frayed extension cords. Be sure to only use one extension cord per outlet, and avoid stringing several extension cords together. Check your electrical cords before plugging them in. When plugging in your lights, never stack more than three strings of lights end to end.

When hanging up your lights outside, never use anything sharp or metal to attach your lights outside. Using metal or sharp objects could puncture the wire, causing a greater risk of having a fire or electrical shock. Never leave your lights up all year round, and sure to remove your lights at the end of the holiday season so you can inspect and replace damaged wires. Small animals like squirrels may chew on your lights causing wire damage.

Christmas Tree Safety

A Christmas tree is a wonderful way to symbolize the Christmas season. However, you need to be careful when picking out your Christmas tree. Make sure your tree has fresh green needles on it. It only take a dry tree 30 seconds to engulf into flames. To help reduce the need for fire damage repair in Wichita, always water your tree daily. A well- watered tree is almost impossible to ignite. However, when watering your tree you need to be careful not to get any water on you lights.

Keeping your tree away from a heating source is a great way to reduce the risk of a fire in your home. You should allow three feet between any heat source such as heating vent or fireplace. Before putting up your Christmas tree, double check your smoke detectors and make sure they are working properly.

Fire Damage Cleanup in Wichita

While we hope that you never have to experience a fire in your home, especially during the holiday season, Stover’s Restoration is ready and able to respond to your fire emergency anytime, day or night. We are available 24/7, and will get to work quickly so you can return home as soon as possible. If you experience a fire in your home, call Stover’s today.