Avoiding Holiday House Fires

Every year, the usually joyful holiday season is interrupted by tragic house fires. Holiday trees, baking for the holidays, and using space heaters as the Cleveland weather chills just increases the odds of fires occuring. To help you and your family stay safe:

• Make sure that your smoke alarms are working and have new batteries. (Landlords: this means you too.)
• Never leave candles unattended. Yes, candles are pretty during the holidays, but they can be deadly too. I personally know two people that have lost their homes to fires started with candles.
• Have a Plan. Draw out an escape route and discuss it calmly with all members of your family, even the little ones. Designate a place to meet outside of the house so that you can account for everyone quickly.

For more about Fire Safety, see these articles from around the About.com network:

• Fire Safety Tools
• Tips for Teaching Fire Safety to Kids
• Ten Tips for Fire Safety

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