With Yuletide right around the corner once again, many families are taking the opportunity to deck their proverbial halls with all the usual holiday trimmings, from festive candles to live greenery like wreaths, trees, poinsettias, and more. While all these things can add up to give off wonderful holiday vibes, our fire damage restoration specialists at Restoration Now! Omaha urge you to go about your decorating safely!

Greenery and Flames Don’t Mix

According to the National Fire Protection Association, home candle fires are at their yearly highs in December, and the addition of natural greenery, which tends to dry out quickly, only compounds the danger. If you are using candles or other open flames in your decorating this season, make sure to adhere to the following guidelines compiled by our knowledgeable Restoration Now! to ensure a safe experience this holiday! While Restoration Now! Omaha is certainly experienced when it comes to fire damage restoration, we want to make sure you have the knowledge to prevent possible disasters in your home.

• Make sure the decorations you choose for your home are flame resistant or flame retardant.
• If you’re using real flame candles, keep them far away from other decorations and put them on a heat-resistant surface to avoid damage to your table tops.
• When using candles, put them in places that are inaccessible to your children or pets—their natural curiosity could land you some singed fingertips and whiskers if you’re not careful!
• When live greenery dries out, pitch it! Nobody likes a brown wreath anyway, and these items are a definite fire hazard. Don’t keep them in your home or garage, or anywhere around the outside of your home for that matter.

Be Smart with Electrical Decorations

We all know the cliché that’s become a staple of this season—faced with not enough outlets for all the electric light decorations they have, somebody decides to get creative and start plugging fifteen items into an outlet meant for two. While most of us are savvy enough not to tempt fate in this way, there are other good practices you may not have thought of that can reduce the risk of electrical fire.

• Take note of the kind of holiday lights you’re stringing up—they’re usually designed for either interior or exterior use, not both. Using interior lights outside, for instance, can end up starting a fire because those lights aren’t designed to be weather-resistant.
• When putting up exterior lights, use clips instead of nails or staples to secure them. This cuts down on the risk of fire caused by a damaged cord.

Contact Restoration Now! Omaha Today for Any Fire Damage Restoration at (402) 502-7277!

Our fire damage restoration specialists at Restoration Now! Omaha wish you and your family a happy holiday season! Taking a few common-sense precautions regarding your decorations can go a long way toward ensuring that your loved ones and home remain safe as you celebrate this year, but if you do find yourself in a worst-case scenario, our Restoration Now! wants you to know that we’re here to help. We offer 24/7 fire damage restoration services, so contact us today at (402) 502-7277 to get started!