Fire Preparedness When Leaving Your House During The Holidays
It’s fun to travel for the holidays … but a lot less fun to return home to a burnt-out foundation. One of the downsides of being away from home is that you’re not present to act quickly. By the time a neighbor sees the smoke and the fire department arrives, it may be too late.
If you’re going out of town for the holidays, invest some time in basic fire preparedness. Here’s how to reduce the risk of fire at your home while you’re on the road …
1. Unplug Everything You Can
We rarely think about how many fire hazards we have plugged into the wall. Anything plugged into an outlet is at risk of sparking a fire — especially if you:
Use extension cords for basic electrical wiring, or …
Plug too many cords into one outlet.
Before you leave, go on an unplugging spree. Unplug everything you can get your hands on — appliances, gadgets, your washer dryer, any lamps you don’t have set on a timer to make the home look occupied. Obviously you have to keep the refrigerator plugged in, but do as much as you can.
2. Check Your Christmas Lights
You can unplug your exterior Christmas lights too … but maybe you have your heart set on leaving them on (or on a timer) to add holiday cheer to the neighborhood, even while you are away. If that’s your goal, at least check the strand for fraying.
3. Secure Combustible Materials
It’s easy to forget how much of what we have lying around the house can spontaneously combust. Examples include:
Shaving cream
Hair spray and other aerosols
Stored propane, kerosene, or gasoline
Make sure these materials are stored in a cool, dry area where they won’t be exposed to excessive heat.
4. Get Your Furnace Checked
Furnace malfunctions can easily lead to housefires. You should get it looked at every year anyway. Why not get it done before you leave for the holidays instead of after? Once the tech gives your furnace a clean bill of health, go the extra mile and clean away any potentially flammable oils or debris from the exterior.
5. Consider a Smart Smoke Alarm System
Smoke detectors are essential home safety devices, but they don’t do much good if you aren’t home to hear it. This is where “smart” smoke detectors come in — IoT devices that connect to the internet and send notifications to your computer, mobile device … even the fire department. If you want to be able to react quickly from afar, consider the upgrade.
6. Consider a Fireproof Safe
This won’t stop your house from burning down, but it could at least protect important documents, valuables, keepsakes, and heirlooms. If something is not easily replaceable — if it would break your heart to have it go up in smoke — invest in a fireproof safe and tuck those valuables away.
7. Check Before You Leave
Easy-to-avoid mistakes can have serious consequences. Before you leave, walk the house thoroughly. Are any scented candles still burning? Is the stove left on? Is a flatiron left on? You may end up thanking yourself for having checked.
Take these steps before your holiday travel, and you are much less likely to need fire restoration. But nothing reduces the risk to zero. We hope the worst never happens … but if it does, keep Taylored Restoration saved in your phone. We’ll help you get through a difficult time and get you squared away for an even happier holiday season next year.