The holiday season is one of the most dangerous times of the year for household fires.

Residential fires during the holiday season are more frequent, more costly and more deadly than any other time of the year. Each year fires occurring during the holiday season claim the lives of over 500 Americans, injure 1,850 and cause over $1 Billion in property damage. Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires in the kitchen.The U.S. Fire Administration reports more than double the number of open-flame fires on Christmas Day than on an average day, and about twice as many as on New Year’s Day.

• Ensure all smoke detectors are functional. Every level and every bedroom should have a smoke alarm. Test and clean smoke alarms once a month; replace backup batteries once a year.
• Ensure fully charged fire extinguishers rated ABC are in the kitchen, garage, laundry room, and by the furnace at a minimum.
• Inspect holiday lights and extension cords for frayed or exposed wire or loose plugs. Do not overload extension cords or outlets.
• Videotape or photograph your home’s interior and exterior, including all contents, and leave a copy off-site. This can be critically important to properly value that you may lose in a fire.

Not only is a home or business fire emotionally devastating, it can add tremendous stress to your life for many months.

To help our friends, clients and website visitors who may deal with a fire, we offer the following fire safety guidance to help minimize damage once a fire is discovered and to keep family or colleagues safe.

What to do during a fire:

• If the fire is small, use the proper extinguisher to suppress it only if you can reach it in seconds. Fire can spread far more quickly that most imagine so unless you can quickly suppress a fire get out quickly. In the 1970s, a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) study found that people have 17 minutes to escape a fire after their smoke alarm goes off. But when the institute repeated the study in 2004, it found that the escape window had shrunk to just three minutes. more »

Discovering a fire in your home or business is one of life’s scariest experiences — especially if your home and business are the same!

Not only is a home or business fire emotionally devastating, it can add tremendous stress to your life for many months.

To help our friends, clients and website visitors who may deal with a fire, we offer the following fire prevention and safety guidance to help minimize the stress and make sure your family or colleagues are safe. more »