The holidays are formally underway, and that means it’s time to talk about keeping your home safe from holiday-related fire risks. There are also some ways you can work alongside your smart home security system to have a safer holiday season. First, though, here are some cautionary facts regarding holiday fire safety:
- Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires – followed by Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and the day before Thanksgiving.
- In 2016, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,570 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving.
- Unattended cooking is by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths.
- Cooking equipment is involved in almost half of all reported home fires and home fire injuries in a single year, and it is the second leading cause of home fire deaths.
Source: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Preventing House Fires this Holiday Season
With these facts in mind, the NFPA wants you to:
- Stay in the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop.
- Stay in the home when cooking a turkey or ham, and check on it frequently.
- If using a turkey fryer, always fry outdoors. Never fry a turkey indoors, and never fry it while frozen.
- Keep children at least three feet away from the stove.
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids in general to avoid steam or splash burns (these can be very dangerous).
- Keep floors clear of toys, décor and gifts.
- Keep Christmas trees watered, choose a tree with fresh, green needles (don’t try to “rescue” a dying tree!)
- Make sure your tree is at least three feet away from any heat source and not blocking any exits in the home.
- Use lights designed for the right area (i.e., indoor lights indoors, outdoor lights outdoors).
- Replace any lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections.
- Never use real, fire-lit candles on or near a tree.
- Always turn tree lights off before leaving home or going to bed.
These are some of the most important guidelines to having a safe home this holiday season. For questions on using your home security system to make it even safer, contact GuardMe Security.
Call the GuardMe Security Team Today
For advice on choosing smart home cameras for home security, New Jersey homeowners can contact GuardMe to get started. GuardMe Security offers a no-obligation consultation to assess your vacation home and help decide the best way to protect your investment.