The holiday season places tremendous strain on residential complexes. With so many folks traveling and gathering in private residences, safety infrastructure can be pushed to its limits. If residents are not careful, celebrations can create fire risks that threaten neighbors and place decision-makers in uncomfortable positions.
We’ve put together this brief guide to help folks in our network identify common holiday-related fire risks that too often lead to disaster. If you manage an HOA, gated community, or assisted living facility, consider communicating holiday fire safety best practices to the people in your care. Be sure to develop a fire response plan that takes the challenges of the holiday season into account, and be prepared to deploy fire watch guards if your facilities are hosting large events, experiencing outages, or if “Hot Work” needs to be done on-site.
Common Holiday Fire Risks
The National Fire Protection Association reports that fire departments across the United States respond to over 835 fires per year that began with decorations. In addition, the same report notes that home cooking fires occur most often on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve. Needless to say, the holidays present a number of inherent fire risks, and residential communities may find themselves in need of fire safety professionals on short notice.
Here are some specific areas of concern:
Decorations, Candles, & Trees
According to the NFPA, 41% of home fires during the holidays are attributed to poor electrical distribution or lighting equipment. It’’s essential that all decorations’ electrical components are intact and rated for indoor or outdoor use as needed. In addition, you should:
- Avoid overloading extension cords, outlets, and circuit breakers
- Check that all lights are approved by a testing lab like UL, Intertek, or CSA
- Choose LED lights for their efficiency and reduced fire risk
- Keep all cords clear of high-traffic areas
- Fasten all outdoor lights securely
Candles can cause home fires any time of the year, but NFPA data shows they are especially pernicious during the holidays. Residents should keep all candles clear of trees and other decorations. Only light candles in spaces where they can be viewed at all times, and always extinguish them before going to sleep.
When it comes to Christmas trees, both real and artificial options present a fire risk. From 2015 to 2019, Christmas trees that caught fire caused an average of $10 million in property damage. For a pre-lit artificial tree, purchase one made as recently as possible, as industry standards have improved to make newer products more fire-safe. If you go with a real tree, pick out a fresh one and make sure it is watered regularly. Dry trees pose the most significant fire risk by far.
Kitchen & Cooking Safety
For many folks, decorations are not limited to the living room and the outdoor spaces. Cooking causes about 20% of decorations-related fires each year according to the NFPA. Be sure to keep flammable decorations clear of any kitchen heat sources.
Deep friers, it seems, are notorious fire starters during the holidays, with over $15 million in property damage attributed to them each year. Anyone planning to deep fry a turkey would do well to follow these guidelines:
- Ensure the turkey if fully thawed and unstuffed
- Choose a turkey and volume of oil appropriate for your fryer
- Place the fryer on a level surface, avoid moving it, and never leave it unattended
- Keep the burner a safe distance from the tank as well as structures, trees, and decorations
Most importantly, when frying a turkey or doing any other cooking this holiday season, be sure to practice general fire safety. If oil or grease begins to smoke, turn off the heating element immediately. Keep an “ABC” or grease-rated fire extinguisher nearby, and NEVER use a water or garden hose to extinguish fires related to grease or fryer oil.
Community Safety
The holidays are an excellent time to come together with our nieghbors and recommit to community safety. If you leave home for a stretch this December, have neighbors check in to ensure there are no active fire risks. This can also help improve overall safety in your community by reducing thefts and break-ins. The better the channels of communication between you and your neighbors, the faster and more effective the response will be.
Will You Need Fire Watch Guards?
Clearly, the holidays present many inherent fire risks that keep first responders busy this time of year. We highly recommend you follow the advice laid out in this guide, but also understand that even the most secure location is never risk-free. Response times will be stretched during this busy season, and you should do your best to plan for the worst.
Fire watch guards are required on-site in any facility suffering a power or fire safety system outage. They will also be needed whenever “Hot Work,” such as welding or brazing, is done in a residential environment. Finally, fire watch must be deployed for events and gatherings that push fire safety systems beyond their recommended limits.
During the holidays, emergencies happen. You may find yourself in need of emergency fire watch to keep facilities running and prevent evacuations. Be prepared to pay overtime rates if deployments are needed during recognized holiday hours. Most importantly, you should connect with a fire watch service that can reliably service your region before guards are required on-site. By vetting a reliable fire watch provider in advance, you can ensure that guards arrive as soon as they are needed.
Contact The Guard Alliance
For over a decade, The Guard Alliance has proudly provided armed and unarmed security guards, in addition to fire watch services, in communities across the USA. Our 24/7 dispatch and expert fire watch personnel will be on hand throughout the holiday season to respond to emergent concerns. It’s best to get in touch with us early to avoid last-minute complications, but we are always ready to assist in emergency situations as well.
Contact us if you need fire watch or security guards on-site today.