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“The stockings were hung from the chimney with care...,” as the famous holiday poem reads, but did that care include making sure those stockings were fire retardant? The Piedmont Association of Realtors and its members offer the following home safety tips to ensure a happy and safe holiday season for you and your family.
Decorating your home or apartment for the holidays should be a joyous event, but at this time of the year, it’s important to pay extra attention to safety factors, particularly those involving possible fires. Most homes are dryer during the winter months due to heaters and fireplaces. This dryness, combined with increased electrical usage, open flames from holiday candles and generally a busier household, necessitates extra careful attention.
Carefully check all electrical decorations, particulary those that have been sitting in damp basement for the past twelve months. The National Fire Protection Association reports that during the 1980’s there were 560 structural fires annually involving Christmas trees. A dry tree and poorly wired lights can cause a disaster. Make sure that all electrical cords, lights and ornaments are approved by a testing agency, such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories), and are in good condition. Check for frayed ends or loose connections. Make sure that all extension cords are placed out of the normal traffic path in your home and that no furniture or other objects are resting on the cords. If you have pets, keep in mind their traffic patterns as well, and plan accordingly.
Keep your Christmas trees moist by checking the water level daily, selecting decorative lights that do not generate large amounts of heat and placing the tree away from direct sources of w armth such a radiators, televisions and hot air ducts. Tree lights should be on only when an adult is present. Never leave tree lights on overnight. If you have an artificial tree, make sure it’s fire retardant. Fire retardant spray is available for both artificial and live trees.
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