Winter is just around the corner here in New England. As we all prepare to celebrate the holiday season, your insurance agents here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency want to make sure that all of our clients celebrate safely.
With all of the extra holiday cheer comes a few extra risks when it comes to your home – specifically, you could be at an increased risk for a house fire. To lower your chance of dealing with a fire this winter, make sure that you’re careful with the following items:
Christmas trees and decorations.
If you’re going to put up a live christmas tree, make sure that you follow all of the proper safety protocol. If your tree starts to dry out, it is a huge matchstick in the middle of your home waiting to be lit. According to the American Christmas Tree Association, Christmas trees alone result in 13 million dollars worth of property damage annually, so check out the safety information on their website to be safe against house fires.
Old or faulty wiring.
There is a lot to plug in during the winter. If your home is older and has worn out wiring, or if you plug too many things into the same outlet, you may be at risk for a fire. Make sure that older homes have their wiring checked occasionally by a professional, and be wary about how much power you draw from each source. Try to distribute your power between outlets.
Unsupervised candles and flames.
Lit candles and fireplaces are a part of the holiday cheer. It’s certainly ok to enjoy these cozy accents, but make sure that you do so safely. Make sure that candles are on even surfaces, and never put anything near a lit fire. Also extinguish all flames when you leave the room – you should never leave flames unattended.
Heating equipment that isn’t properly used.
The weather outside may be frightful, but inside it’s delightful thanks to your home’s heating system and your trusty space heater. Again, using these items is ok as long as you do so safely. Follow all instructions in your equipment’s manual in order to avoid house fires.
Leaving the kitchen while cooking.
Winter is the season of entertaining, and there is one de-facto event of all winter get-togethers: a big meal! If you’re having guests over and cooking a big meal, you should be extra wary of all of the rules of the kitchen that will help you avoid a fire, the most important of which is to never leave your cooking unattended. These rules also apply to all other meals that you make, even if there are no guests involved.
Unfortunately, even if you enact all possible precautions, you are still at a slight risk for a house fire. To make sure that you and your family are financially protected in the event of a loss, make sure that you have your Boston home insurance policy evaluated by a Vargas and Vargas insurance professional.
