Watch Out For These Hazards During the Holidays!

The holidays are a time of great joy and happiness; it can also be a time of great distress and frustration if a holiday hazard strikes. The top three holiday hazards that have been reported include porch pirates, decoration vandals and house fires. It is extremely important that all homeowners are aware of these potential problems and are prepared to take action, when needed.

Three Holiday Hazards to Look Out For

House Fires

According to an analysis by insurance Quotes, about 13 million Americans have had a house fire that was caused by some cooking or fryer accident, 9.7 million Americans have had a house fire caused by lit candles and 6.5 million Americans have had a house fire sparked by a Christmas tree!

Although sometimes inevitable, most of these fires can be prevented. Helpful tips below.

  • Always make sure to clean the grease from your stovetops and ovens
  • Keep lit candles in a safe place away from other objects
  • Use new or gently used lights to decorate for the holidays
  • Keep your Christmas tree at least three feet from any type of heat source

Porch Pirates

Around the holidays, more packages are arriving at the doorsteps’ of homeowners all around the country. Unfortunately, the more packages left out in the open means the more opportunity for thieves to steal them. It has been reported that 26 million Americans, up from 23.5 million in 2015, say they have had holiday packages stolen by porch thieves.

Here are a few steps for you to take to minimize the risk of getting your packages stolen:

  • Network with your neighbors and have them pick-up your package if you know you will
  • be away during a certain delivery time
  • Install security cameras
  • Have packages delivered to smart package lockers or your workplace
  • Require a signature upon delivery

Decoration Vandals

According to insurance Quotes, about 22.5 million Americans have had decorations stolen or vandalized in 2015.

Some ways you can prevent this from happening include:

  • Installing motion detectors
  • Security systems
  •  Automatic timers for holiday lights

 

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