It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Homes and offices are decked out for the holidays with twinkling lights and boughs of proverbial holly, but unfortunately, as spirits rise with the season, so do holiday fire hazards and smoke damage.
Seasonal decorations, including string lights and Christmas trees, home and office décor, and cooking can all pose holiday fire and smoke hazards. Below are holiday fire safety recommendations to help your commercial and residential clients stay safe and smoke-free this holiday season.
Holiday Meals & Cooking
Cooking is a central part of holiday traditions. Unfortunately, kitchen accidents are the leading causes of in-home fires, with Thanksgiving and Christmas Day among the peak days, and the cause of one in every four office property fires. Grease spills, unattended stovetops and damaged cooking equipment can cause lasting smoke damage that requires professional restoration.
Candles
Candle fires peak in the winter months, with Christmas Day and Christmas Eve being the top two days for in-home fires. Many office buildings disallow lit candles at any time, due to smoke and fire risks. Whether in commercial or residential environments, it’s important for clients keep lit candles away from any decorations, loose papers, file folders, furniture or other flammable material. Candles should also never be left unattended or allowed to burn down to the bottom of a glass container. If a wick gets too low, it can cause the glass to overheat and explode.
Festive Decorations
Holiday decorations cause an average of $11.4 million in property damage a year. Broken or frayed holiday string lights, overloaded electrical sockets and dry, brittle Christmas trees can present serious smoke and fire hazards.
In conclusion, holidays are meant to be a time of celebration. Encouraging your clients to take extra precautions to mitigate holiday fire hazards and smoke damage can make a world of difference.
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