Make sure to follow these safety measures this holiday season!
Tis the season to take out your minivan and head for the local Christmas tree market. In the spirit of the holiday season, it can be easy to get carried away with the festivities and forget about the most important thing: safety. Fire is unfortunately an ever-present threat, and one needs to take precautions to avoid a catastrophe. While Christmas tree fires are rare, they statistically have a higher death rate than other house fires. To help you keep safe this Christmas, follow these safety tips.
Buy a Fresh Tree
A well-hydrated tree is far less likely to catch fire than an old, brittle one. Start off right by buying a fresh, green tree that hasn’t been standing around for too long. If the pine needles break or fir needles bend, it is not an ideal specimen. Pine needles should bend easily, and fire needles should snap crisply. Shake the tree to see whether a lot of needles fall off or not. If few fall off, your tree will last longer.
Keep It Watered
Christmas tree fires are far less likely to occur when the tree is well-hydrated. Make sure it has a large water basin, and designate someone in the household to water it at least once a day. Never let its stump go dry. On this schedule, it will likely last 4-6 weeks, well beyond the Christmas season.
Take Down After the Season
Don’t forget to take the tree down once the holiday is over. Leaving it around can lead to forgetting to water it, and doing this can leave major fuel for fire sitting in your home. Once the season is over, take it down promptly. Because of neglect, most Christmas tree fires happen in January.
Choose Quality Lights
Pines and firs don’t cause fires themselves, but electrical wiring can. Should your wiring be outdated and frayed, it is more possible a fire could break out. Your electrical panel matters too; some models are more dangerous than others because they fail to trip the circuit when it gets overloaded. When choosing Christmas lights to wrap around the tree, choose high-quality ones designed for the purpose.
Keep Heat Away
Another way to stay safe during the holidays is to keep heat sources away from the tree. Keep items such as space heaters and candles well away from it, and do not place it above or under heat vents.
Supervise
Lastly, don’t light it and forget it. Keep it lit while you are in the room, but off when you spend lots of time away from the room, when you leave the house, and when you go to sleep. An unsupervised lit tree is never a good idea.
QUESTIONS? NORTH ARUNDEL CONTRACTING IS HERE TO HELP!
If you have more questions about preventing fires in your home, North Arundel Contracting is here to help you out. Our trained professionals can teach you everything there is to know about emergency and general contracting services. Call us any time at 410-766-2855 or reach us by fax at 410-553-2367. Feel free to send us an email at [email protected]. For after-hours emergencies, call us at 410-541-0328. For tips, tricks, and to see what we have been up to, be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.