Homeowner Holiday Safety Tips

The holidays are a beautiful time of the year for families and friends to come together to create beautiful memories. During the holiday season, it seems like unfortunate events happen to families the most due to simple safety precautions not being put into place. Here we will discuss some of the most common hazards and risks that happen during the holidays and safety measures that can be taken to minimize them from occurring to your family this holiday season.

1. Cooking Risks

Cooking-related fires during this time of the year tend to be at an all-time high. Families and friends come together to cook traditional dishes and recipes for everyone to enjoy. It is important to make sure you are being safe to prevent a fire from occurring at your home. Here are some helpful recommendations to minimize cooking risk this holiday season:

· Don’t leave cooking unattended - Frequently check on your dish and make sure that nothing is being left on the burner or oven without supervision. Add timers, and if you have guests visiting, invite them to sit on your kitchen island or somewhere nearby where you can continue keeping an eye out for your dish to help minimize the chances of something catching on fire or burning.

· Frying food – deep-frying turkeys has become extremely popular as it brings a different and delicious taste to your holiday dish. Do your proper research on how to deep fry a turkey and we advise, if possible, to do it outside the property in a designated area.

· Allergies – Ask your guest about any food allergies that they may have. Know what ingredients are on your dishes and make your guest aware to prevent anyone from having an allergic reaction.

· Smoke detectors & carbon monoxide sensors – Always very important to make sure your detectors are working properly and if any of them need to be replaced that this is done immediately.

2. Candles Risks & Safety

Lighting a candle can make your house feel inviting and bring a special warmth during the holidays. They bring a wonderful fragrance that can be reminiscent of the holiday season and be part of your decor. Although they are great a lot of fire accidents are caused by candles. Here are some candle safety tips that can be applied whenever you light up candles:

· Use sturdy holders for candles and place in clear/clean surfaces

· Leave a clear, 12 inches on every side of the flame

· Blow candles out before they burn all the way down

· Don’t leave candles alone

· Consider using electrical candles instead

3. Christmas Tree

The main decoration piece during the holidays is a Christmas Tree and in the past, it was a major fire hazard. Thankfully over the years, they have gotten safer and awareness to families has been made apparent over the last decade. To minimize the chances of your beautiful Christmas tree going up in flames consider the following safety tips:

· Pay attention to wires

· Keep trees away from heat sources (fireplace, heather, etc.)

· Consider going fake!

4. Holiday Travel

Taking family trips and going on vacation is very popular during the holiday season. Unfortunately, burglars are very aware of this, so it is very important to take the necessary safety measures to secure your home.

· Install a security system

· Make sure all valuables are well hidden and secured

· Re-schedule deliveries or make your neighbors aware

· If possible, have a friend, neighbor, or family member check on your property

Hopefully bringing awareness to these common risks can help you prepare and prevent any unfortunate events. Our hope here at Alliance Association Management is that everyone enjoys a safe holiday season with their loved ones.