How to Prevent Common Holiday Fire Hazards

Photo: Budget Direct

As the song says, in many ways the holiday season really is “the most wonderful time of the year”. But in other ways, it can be the most dangerous time of year.  The important thing is to be cautious so your celebrations are more “wonderful” than “dangerous”.

The holiday season may not seem like a peak time for house fires, but the truth is, nearly 47,000 fires occur during this time, according to the American Red Cross’ website. Below, we look at a few common holiday fire hazards and how to prevent them.

Real trees. It’s just not Christmas without a tree but keeping a live one healthy takes work.  Place your tree in the center of the room, away from drafty windows and at least three feet away from a heat source. Water the tree daily (if not more) to keep it hydrated. (Dry trees are a major safety risk.) A real tree should be tossed right after Christmas or when it becomes dry.

Candles. Candles are widely used in many secular and religious holiday traditions and celebrations, and their increased usage means they’re a bigger potential fire hazard. To minimize the risk, never decorate your tree with candles or open flames. Keep lit candles a safe distance from Christmas trees, decorations, drafty windows (and window treatments like curtains or draperies), and heat sources like portable heaters and radiators. Always extinguish lit candles before leaving your home or going to bed.

Lights and decorations. String lights and other decor add a festive touch to our homes both inside and out, but look at each item before using it. Never use lights with frayed cords (and replace any burned out bulbs if possible). Check lights, ornaments, and other decorations for broken pieces or sharp edges—while not a fire hazard, per se, you don’t want your holiday gathering to end with a trip to the emergency room because of a nasty cut.

Fireplaces and portable heat sources. Just like candles, fireplaces and other heat sources (space heaters, pellet stoves) tend to be used more this time of year. Keep decorations and other flammable items (such as table linens) away from these heat sources. According to the National Fire Protection Association’s website, 42% of decoration fires start because decorations are placed too close to a heat source. Monitor your heat and fuel levels and extinguish everything properly before leaving your house or going to bed.

Keep your holidays memorable for all the right reasons. Follow the above tips or visit nfpa.org to learn more about keeping your home safe this season and all year round.

How to Keep Your Home Pest-Free This Fall

Photo: Pennington

As the seasons change and the temperatures drop, everyone will be spending more time indoors, and that includes furry little pests. Unfortunately, critters might be cute (who doesn’t like watching a little squirrel or chipmunk in the wild?), but once they invade your property, they can be downright annoying, if not destructive. Besides the obvious areas like garbage cans, sheds, and garages, critters can invade your actual home and cause quite a bit of damage.

Below are a few tips for securing your home against these unwanted visitors. Get more tips and advice from the National Pest Management Association's website.

·        Try to locate the animals’ point of entry and seal it. Holes or cracks in a building’s foundation, a door that’s not quite closed, unsecured attic windows, and a whole host of other neglected spots in your home’s physical frame can invite little vermin.  Do a close inspection of your home’s exterior and look for any spots where small creatures could fit through, and seal them with expanding foam, caulking, or other sealant (ask your local hardware or pest control professional for the best products to use).
        
 Check your doors and windows.  Seal any loose weather stripping, repair ripped or missing screens, and check the door hinges (to make sure the door is hung and can close properly) and window closures to make sure the window closes tightly. Animals like mice or even bats can fit through very small openings, so keep everything shut to deter their entry into your house.

  Don’t store pet food in the original bag. Your dog or cat aren’t the only ones who like dried kibble—wildlife will eat it, too.  Rather than keep the food in its original paper bag, store it in a metal garbage can (mice can’t climb up the slippery sides—although they’d also have some real trouble removing the lid!) or a plastic bin with a snap-top lid.

  Clean up yard debris. Maintaining our yards is a lot of work, but if you have a stacked woodpile, excessive piles of leaves, or grass clippings strewn about, these are all perfect materials for critters to use for building nests either on your property or elsewhere and generally creating a bigger mess for you to clean up.  Raking and bagging leaves is a big job, but it’s necessary to keep pests out of your yard. Another tip: keep your tree and shrub branches trimmed. Pests can easily use long branches to enter your attic or basement.

Set traps. If you’re seeing a lot of mouse droppings or other signs of infestation (chewed boxes or other possessions) in your basement or attic, set traps in different locations around the area. If you can’t seem to catch the critter but they’re still leaving their mark, call a pest control company if your DIY methods aren’t working.

Pests can chew through wiring, nest in your attic’s insulation, or simply spread disease through the germs they carry (yes, even those cute little squirrels and chipmunks can make you sick!)  Protect your family and property by doing a few simple maintenance tips and keep unwanted critters out of your home.

Options for Keeping Your Valuables Safe

Where do you keep your most important papers? If your answer is something like “In a shoebox under the bed”, “In the attic/basement”, or “Somewhere in my desk drawer” (or you’re not sure!), it might be time to get more organized with your storage methods.  Buying a home safe or fireproof lock box, or renting a safe deposit box from your local bank, is a great way to keep your valuables safe in case of an unexpected event, such as a burglary or natural disaster like a fire or flood.

There are three standard types of home protection units:

•          Safe with a combination lock
•          Fireproof box
•          Safe deposit box*

*Usually rented from, and kept on-site at, a local bank.

All of these safety units are good investments if you want to keep your prized possessions and valuable papers in one place. But what should you put in them?

Home safe or fireproof box

Your home safe or fireproof box should hold the items that you don’t use often, but would need to access quickly when you do need them. Some examples would include:

•         Birth certificates of all family members
•          Social Security cards
•          Passports
•          Spare car keys and all vehicle titles
•          Wills, Power of Attorney documentation (if you are named as such for a relative), and other important legal documents
•          Medical information for all family members (including physicians’ names, prescribed medications, and dosages)
•          Bank account information (including retirement accounts, investments, etc.)
•          Computer back-up discs and SC cards
•          Spare cash
•          Armed forces documentation papers (which could also be kept in a safe deposit box at the bank)

Safe deposit box

A safe deposit box would contain important items you don’t need or use regularly and don’t want to keep in your home. This could include:

•        Heirloom jewelry or watches
•        Collectibles (such as coins, stamps, or baseball cards)
•        Savings bonds
•       Property deeds

You should not keep your only copy of a document (such as a will) in a safe deposit box.  

If you're thinking of buying a home safe, there are several types available. A fireproof box is useful, but a burglar could pick it up and take it out of your home (although, if it’s locked, they would have a tough time getting it open). A traditional safe is usually quite heavy and might require a hand truck to get into your home; these models are best kept on the ground floor or in the basement. Smaller models that can be bolted to the floor or wall are usually kept in a spare bedroom, home office, or library.

Besides having secure storage units for your important possessions, consider purchasing insurance for valuables like jewelry, collections, sports equipment, collectible firearms, and artwork for additional peace of mind in the event of a burglary or natural disaster. ETA Insurance Group works with several carriers who provide this important coverage. Contact us to learn more!