Nine tips to guard against house fires in Louth this Christmas

In the lead-up to Christmas, we all want our homes to feel bright, warm and festive. While enjoying the celebrations, it is important to keep in mind the fire hazards and to avoid neglecting common safety measures in favour of dangerous decorative oversights.

Zurich Insurance have compiled a list of nine tips to help protect your home this Christmas. By following these simple precautionary steps, you can help guard against house fires.

• Inspect Christmas lights for frayed chords or loose connections. Ensure the correct wattage and voltage is used for replacement bulbs;
• Switch off Christmas lights and other appliances when everyone is leaving the house or going to bed;
• Ensure lights displayed outside are meant for outdoor use. Make sure all electrical sockets and plugs are kept dry, and the lights are LED type;
• Do not hang items that can catch fire above or close to an open fire or stove. Open flames should be kept a safe distance from flammable fabrics at all times;
• Blow out candles before leaving the house;
• Place your Christmas tree a safe distance from any fire source or heater
• Place a real tree in water to keep it from drying out. The dryer the Christmas tree, the easier it will catch fire;
• Ensure all battery powered smoke alarms have charged batteries installed. The best line of defence if a fire occurs is early detection. Test all detectors before the Christmas period;
• Make sure that hot ashes are completely cooled before disposing of them in a metal container. Hot ashes should never be disposed of in wheelie bins.

Colm Blake, Marketing Manager at Zurich Insurance, also points out:

 “We all love to have our homes looking as festive as possible in the run up to Christmas however sometimes, in the excitement of it all, important safety precautions are overlooked in favour of convenience or aesthetics.

“Simple measures such as using plug sockets or extension cords responsibly and remembering to turn off Christmas lights could help guard against the devastation that can be caused by house fires.”

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