Billings home restoration

The holidays are a wonderful time of the year, when we focus on giving gifts and spending time with those that we love. With all the holiday cheer, it can be easy to forget that these are also a dangerous time for your home because there are more risks around than normal that could lead to fire damage. To avoid the need to call a restoration contractor in Billings, take note of these three common holiday hazards and do what you can to make your home safer.

Christmas Trees

Christmas trees are beautiful during the season, but they are also a potential fire hazard, especially if the tree is real, as wood and pine needles can provide fuel for a fire. About one in three Christmas tree fires is caused by an electrical issue, and while tree fires are not really common, when they do occur they can be pretty damaging to your home, and dangerous to those living in the home.

To be safe, make sure all the lights on the tree are working properly, place the tree at least three feet from heat sources such as your space heaters, the radiator, candles, heating vents, or a fireplace. Keep real trees properly watered so they don’t get dry, and dispose of them as soon as Christmas is over.

Light Strands

Those tiny twinkling bulbs on the inside and outside of your home can be a great reminder of the holiday season, and they look amazing, but they are also a potential fire hazard. Make sure your light strands are not damaged before you hang them up. Don’t connect more than 50 lights to any one strand, and don’t connect more than three strands together to avoid excess heat.

Candles

The number one cause of fires around the holidays is candles (and 2 out of every 5 home fires are caused by candles), so if you plan to burn candles around this time of year, be sure to practice some basic safety:

• Never leave a burning candle unattended in a room
• Never leave a candle burning when you leave the house or go to sleep
• Keep all candles at least 12 inches from décor and your Christmas tree
• Don’t put burning candles on your Christmas tree

Follow these fire safety tips to have a merry holiday season, and if your home does suffer damage, be sure to contact a restoration contractor in Billings to help you restore it as quickly as possible.