ServiceMaster by Lovejoy: Odor Removal

According to the American Red Cross, winter holiday fires claim more than 500 lives each year and cause approximately $554 million in property damage. ServiceMaster by LoveJoy gathers essential winter holiday fire safety tips to help reduce those numbers. Follow these suggestions from our fire restoration experts, and keep your family, home, pets, and belongings safe this holiday season and throughout the New Year.

Winter Fire Causes in Georgia

During the winter and all through the holidays, there are several seasonal factors that can increase the risk of fire in your home. These factors range from the increased fireplace and candle usage to Christmas tree fire hazards. As beautiful as these light touches may be, it's important to keep certain holiday fire safety tips in mind.

General holiday fire safety includes:

Never leave a room when a candle is burning. Candle fires are four times more likely to occur during the holidays.

Never burn wrapping paper, garbage, or other debris in your fireplace.

Always supervise children around fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, and any open flames, even candles.

Check your space heater before using it. If it's not operating correctly or the cord is damaged in any way, don't use it.

Test every smoke detector in the house and make sure all of them have charged batteries. A September 2015 report by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) stated that the death rate per 100 reported home fires was more than twice as high in homes that did not have any working smoke alarms compared to the rate in homes with working smoke alarms (1.18 deaths vs. 0.53 deaths per 100 fires).

Holiday Fire Safety Tips

The winter holidays can be the busiest time of the year for many households. There are family activities, community events, and parties to attend, and you may even be hosting a gathering or two in your own home. Kids are excited, the days are short and there seems to be a never-ending list of things to get done. However, now is not the time to ignore or forget about basic holiday fire safety, which includes Christmas tree fire safety.

Christmas Tree Fire Safety:

Live trees need to be fresh and stay fresh until removed from your home. Look for a tree with needles that pull back easily from the branches but don't break. Tap your tree on the ground. If it sheds a ton of needles, it's not fresh.

Keep a freshly cut tree watered so it doesn't dry out and become a fire hazard, or use a potted live tree and plant a memory from this Christmas season to grow for years to come.

Never place your Christmas tree near a fireplace, wood-burning stove or other open flames.

Never place real, burning candles on your Christmas tree as decorations.

Christmas trees should not block doorways or exit routes, in case of a fire.

Only buy fire-resistant artificial trees.

Inspect all strands of Christmas lights before placing them on your tree. Look for fraying wires and other damage.

Never use more than three sets of light strands per one extension cord.

Check all extension cords for damage or fraying; don't overload a single electrical outlet.

If you're going to be away from home, turn off the Christmas tree lights and consider unplugging all non-essential electronics and appliances.

Keep lit candle displays at least three feet away from the tree.

Only decorate a tree with non-combustible or flame-resistant decorations.

Outdoor Decoration Fire Safety

Do not ignore specific holiday fire safety precautions even if your decorations are outside your house.

Be reminded that any extension cords you use outside are labeled for outdoor use.

Check the label and packaging to determine whether your cord is made for the outdoors.

All outdoor lights need to be fastened securely to your home's porch, columns, gutters, surrounding trees or other supports that will stay secure, even in blustery conditions.

Always plug outdoor lights and electric decorations into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet or use a surge protector for safety.

Visit our blog for more seasonal tips and all-around advice from the restoration professionals at ServiceMaster by LoveJoy of Atlanta, Georgia.

ServiceMaster by LoveJoy offers fire damage restoration services, such as:

Fire and Smoke Cleanup

Soot Removal

Odor Removal

Complete Building and Contents Cleaning

Carpet, Rug, and Upholstery Cleaning

Plumbing

Electrical Works

HVAC Duct Cleaning

Antiques and Fine Art Restoration

Electronic Equipment Restoration

Data and Document Recovery

Furniture Refinishing

Biohazard Cleaning

Safety and Compliance

Pack out and Inventory service

Restoration Dry Cleaning and Laundry and Board Up

Call ServiceMaster by LoveJoy today at 770-983-6665 to learn more about our services.

Fireplaces can create a cozy, comfortable atmosphere in your home. If not maintained properly, however, they can be dangerous. In fact, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 31 percent of home fires between 2011 and 2015 were caused by fireplaces and chimneys, resulting in an estimated 262 million dollars in direct property damage each year.

At such a high cost, it’s crucial that homeowners with fireplaces know how to use them safely. Use these fireplace maintenance and safety tips from the experts at ServiceMaster by LoveJoy to learn how you can safely heat your home all season.

Fireplace Safety Tips

Use these safety tips to help prevent a fire from getting out of control:

Only burn hardwood and approved manufactured logs

Burning items that are unsafe can cause soot and creosote to build up in your chimney, which can combust and ignite a chimney fire. At the same time, using unapproved materials like wet wood, trash, paper, lighter fuel or other dangerous items, a fire that once began in your fireplace could spread through your entire home. To stay safe, only use dry or seasoned wood and approved fire logs and starter logs in your fireplace.

Always use a fire screen

Fire screens can help keep embers in the fireplace, preventing them from flying out into your room. For extra safety, keep flammable items away from the immediate vicinity. This includes holiday decorations, wrapping paper, furniture, carpet, people and pets.

Maintain your fireplace

Have your fireplace and chimney inspected before you use it for the first time this year. That way, professionals can clean out any creosote build-up, detect any chimney leaks and ensure that the structure is safe for use all season long.

Practice basic fire safety

Use these essential fire safety tips to help prevent a fire in your home:

Keep a fire extinguisher close by to douse small flames.

Test your smoke detectors monthly to ensure they will alert the household if a fire breaks out.

Then, use these fireplace-specific safety tips to help prevent a fire from spreading:

Always open the damper before lighting a fire to avoid trapping poisonous gases in your home.

Never leave your fireplace unattended.

Never overload the fireplace.

With these tips in mind, you can help keep your home cozy and safe this season. For more fireplace safety precautions, read the recommendations provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Contact the Fire Damage Restoration Professionals at ServiceMaster by LoveJoy

Despite our best efforts to protect our homes, fires still happen. When they occur, they can cause serious damage to your home. Even if you get the fire out quickly, soot damage can still lurk throughout your home and cause significant destruction.

In the unfortunate event that you’ve experienced fire damage this season, know that you don’t have to go through the clean-up process alone. Contact the experts at ServiceMaster by LoveJoy to get your house back to normal as quickly as possible. Our fire and smoke damage removal services act fast to guide you through crisis to resolution, all while keeping you informed of the process. With the equipment, experience and expertise required to get the job done right, our professionals are available 24/7 every day of the year to help restore your home after a disaster.

Fire Damage Restoration Services

Fire and Smoke Cleanup