The Nevada wildfire season may have technically ended with October — but as the holiday season approaches, a new crop of fire hazards emerges. As you prepare for the festivities, keep in mind these tips to reduce your family’s risk of house fire this holiday season.
Use decorations and candles with caution.
These days, many families start decorating their yards for the holidays starting with Halloween. Likewise, the fall season is the most popular time of year to start burning candles. These things are wonderful enhancements to enjoy, but both must be done with caution. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that candles cause 45% of home decoration fires during the holiday season. And, in two out of every five house fire incidents involving a holiday decoration, the decoration was too close to a heat source; that includes both heating equipment and candles. For those reasons, never place candles close to decorations (no closer than 12 inches), and never fall asleep while a candle is burning. NFPA data shows that falling asleep was a factor in 10% of home candle fires and 12% of home candle fire deaths.
Put safety first when cooking and baking.
The NFPA reports that the top three days of the year for home cooking fires are Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. An even more sobering statistic is that cooking is the leading cause of home fires, causing 49% of them — and, it’s the second-leading cause of home fire deaths.
Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires. So whether your holiday baking season kicks off in November or December, follow these guidelines:
- Stay in close proximity to the kitchen.
- Turn off your appliance if anything begins to burn.
- Keep decorative items and kitchen towels at least 12 inches away from cooking equipment and appliances.
Protect your home with fire detection.
In Nevada, fire authorities require homeowners to have a smoke detector on each level of the home and outside each sleeping area. By complying with this requirement, you can increase the early detection of a possible fire in your home. In addition to this, you need a residential fire alarm system that gets help to your home quickly if a fire breaks out. That’s what we offer at Sting Alarm, with powerful fire protection as part of our Environmental Monitoring services. For more information on fire detection for your Las Vegas home from fire, call Sting Alarm this holiday season.
Sting Alarm
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