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The holidays should be a happy time for your family and friends to celebrate and spend time together. The last thing you want to deal with is a devastating house fire. According to HouseLogic, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reports that on Christmas Day, more than double the number of open-flame fires occur than on any other average day. Property losses from holiday fires are also greater, and even worse, than the number of fatalities is a shocking 70 percent higher. As fire safety is one of our highest priorities, Ashbusters would like to share some important tips with you that can reduce your risk of a holiday fire this year.

Schedule an appointment for your annual professional chimney maintenance services.

Recommended by national fire safety organizations such as the USFA, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), suggest scheduling an annual professional chimney sweeping and inspection. It is important to make sure your chimney and fireplace system will work efficiently and safely. Ashbusters strongly suggests that you make this appointment with us before you light the first fire of the holiday season. Then we can remove the flammable creosote from the inner chimney walls and make sure nothing is blocking the flue.

Be careful what you burn in your fireplace.

It may seem more convenient to just throw discarded holiday wrapping paper into the fireplace, but burning gift paper is extremely dangerous. The dyes used in making wrapping paper can cause flash fires when burned. These kinds of fires can get out of control quickly. Another mistake some homeowners have made during the holidays is burning parts of the Christmas tree in the fireplace. The spokesman for the USFA, Tom Olshanski, says, “They make turpentine out of pine trees. A Christmas tree is almost as explosive when it goes.” You should also make sure your tree is at least six to eight feet away from your fireplace. Additionally, you need to check your stringed lights for frayed wires or broken sockets before placing them on your tree.

Ashbusters wants to help you stay safe from accidental fires this holiday season. Contact us to learn more fire safety tips for the holidays and the rest of year.