The holidays are here, and it’s the perfect time to get the family together and spend some time with each other.

However, it’s also a time where the dangers of fire rise. With so many things in your home using flame, electric, and heat to work, you are at risk of a house fire if you’re not careful.

Here are some important fire safety tips for the holiday season.

Cooking and Baking

Round the holidays, one of the highlights is the food. Whether it’s the spread you put together for Christmas day, or the cookies you bake for Santa, there’s all kinds of things going on in the kitchen.

With all that extra cooking, though, comes extra danger. The kitchen uses heat and electricity, and if misused these can start fires. Here are some kitchen fire safety tips to keep in mind this holiday season.

• Always keep an eye on the cooking: Whatever you’re making, make sure you keep an eye on it. Stay in the kitchen while you’re cooking, to ensure that you can act quickly if anything goes wrong. Make sure you’re using timers for cooking too, to ensure that nothing stays on the stove for too long and starts to burn.
• Keep flammable items away from the stove: As careful as you are, it’s easy to forget to move that dishcloth away from the stove and suddenly see it go up in flames. When cooking, ensure that you’re moving anything flammable away from the stove to ensure you can cook safely.
• Know when to stay away from the kitchen: With the holidays coming, it’s the best time to indulge in an eggnog or two, or stay up late watching festive movies. It’s great to do these things, but remember that it does affect your safety in the kitchen. If you’ve had a drink or are feeling sleepy, it’s harder to react to any potential dangers. If this is the case, it’s best to stay out of the kitchen until the feeling has passed.

Festive Decorations

With the holidays comes the time to decorate your home. It’s exciting putting the Christmas tree up or setting out your menorah, however, decorations do bring extra risk of fire into your home.

Thus, it’s important to step out from the mile-a-minute track of the season’s chaos, to pause and ask yourself these questions. Your answer will help navigate you down the right (and safest) path.

1. Flameless LED candles, or real wax candles?

Candles are used in all kinds of festive decorations, and you’ll be setting out your best ones for the season. Whether they’re used to fill the house with the smell of Christmas spice or just to create a warm glow, you need to be careful. Like with any candles, they can easily cause fires.

When you use them, don’t leave the room with the them still burning. Place them well away from any areas where they could start a fire, such as near curtains and drapes. If you want to take it one step further, invest in flameless LED candles as a replacement. Be careful with your candles and you can enjoy them safely.

2. Are my decorations NFPA compliant?

Most modern decorations, such as Christmas trees and wreaths, are rated for fire safety. If you’re not sure, check the packaging of your items to ensure they’re safe to use. If you’re unsure of their fire safety, it’s best to replace them with something new for the season.

3. Is my decor placement strategy optimal?

The placement of your decorations is crucial to fire safety, too. If you put them near flammable objects, then the risk of a fire spreading is greater. Keep decorations away from active fireplaces, drapes or anything else that could be flammable.

Holidays and Electrics

With the festive season comes the decorations, and with them comes the extra electrics in the house. Those string lights look beautiful, but are a fire hazard if used incorrectly. This also includes setting up outdoor roof decorations, that require safety measures as well.

Here’s how to stay safe:

• Turn off all lights: It’s true the lights on the tree look beautiful through the window of your home. However, if you’re not home, you won’t be able to react if they start a fire. If you’re going out or going to bed, don’t forget to turn the lights off. That way you’re minimizing the risk of using lights.
• Don’t overload outlets: One of the main causes of an electrical fire is an overloaded outlet. At Christmas, it’s easy to let this happen. You’ve got so many extra things to plug in, you need to find an outlet for everything. If those outlets get overloaded though, it will lead to fire. Spread your decorations out so you’re not relying on just one or two outlets, and maybe look at using battery powered decorations instead.

Heating Your Home

There’s no denying the weather’s colder, and you need to heat your home to make it toasty and inviting. You do need to be careful with your heating though – so try to keep these two things at the forefront of your mind, always.

1. Be wary of space heaters

Space heaters are something that should be used only when necessary, as they come with risks. Ensure you keep anything flammable at least three feet away from them, and only use them when you’re in the room. Switch them off when they’re not needed, and don’t allow children or pets to touch them.

2. Practice fireplace safety

If you have an open fireplace, it’s important to understand how to use it properly. They’re an essential part of the holidays, and your family will want to curl up in front of it. They need to be treated much like space heaters – don’t let them burn if you’re not in the room, and don’t allow children or pets near them. Anything flammable should be kept well away too.

The Bottom Line

There are indeed many fire risks around the holidays, but if you’re careful, you won’t have to worry about them. Keep heat sources, such as fireplaces and stoves, attended as you use them. Be careful with candles, and turn off lights when you’re not using them.

By following these fire safety tips for the holiday season, you can enjoy all the trappings of the holidays while keeping you and your family safe.