All of us here at 24Restore hope you had a very blessed Christmas. We want to help you bring in the New Year safely with some fire damage prevention tips. Don’t let smoke or fire damage ruin your New Year’s celebration.
It is a fact that fires are more common during the holidays. Candles, faulty Christmas lights, fireplaces, heaters, Christmas trees, and cooking accidents, can start fires. With children running around and everyone celebrating, this increases the chances of a fire due to distractions and inattentiveness to our surroundings. The last thing we all want is a disaster of this magnitude during our family gatherings.
Tip #1: When cooking, be sure to clean any grease on your stovetop or oven that can ignite easily. Keep that area free of any flammable objects like oven mitts or plastic containers.
Tip #2: Keep the lit candles in safe areas where they cannot be knocked over by children or pets and keep the candles in sight at all times.
Tip #3: If you still have your tree up for New Year’s Day, be sure to keep frequently watering it to prevent them from getting dry and flammable. Keep Christmas trees 3 feet from any heat source, I.E. fireplace, and heaters.
Tip #4: Check your twinkle lights for any damaged or fray wires. Poorly kept lights can become a hazard by having exposed wires touch flammable objects like wrapping paper and dry needles from a tree.
Tip #5: Clean your chimneys if you plan on using your fireplace. Debris like webs, leaves, and bird’s nest may catch fire and fall onto your roofs. Never throw wrapping paper into your fireplace. Fireplaces can cause extensive smoke damage without fires actually breaking out into your home – contact 24 Restore to ensure that your home is safe if it is affected by smoke or soot.
Bonus Tip: Be ready for any disaster with your home insurance! Make sure you have documented your property with a video recording and have the proper coverage on your property. Speak with your insurance agent or broker if you are not sure about your policies. The last thing you want is to be unprepared for a disaster and not be able to recover from a fire. Fire disasters are more common than we think, and they are sadly impossible to fully prevent. The best proactive approach we can take is to be prepared, ready, and have a plan for a disaster. If you do not have a fire damage disaster plan, check out some of our other blogs on fire safety. You will also find more helpful tips that may help you get ready for a potential disaster! The point of having an emergency plan is to be able to recover from any disaster.
Happy New Year. Minneapolis! From all of the 24Restore family! Cheers and be safe!
~ the people ~ the equipment ~ the expertise ~