Keep the holiday home safe

Many residents are busy with various festive tasks including displaying indoor and outdoor decorations, setting up the annual Christmas tree, searching for extension cords and power bars, replacing light bulbs, baking cookies and other holiday treats, plus purchasing and wrapping gifts.

To help keep homes safe for the holidays, CAA Insurance has offered the following safety tips:

Christmas Trees: Ensure artificial Christmas trees are “fire resistant” and ensure live trees are fresh and moist at all times. Set up live and artificial trees away from fireplaces, heaters, and other heat sources.

Lighting: Inspect holiday lights yearly for broken, frayed or loose connections and throw out damaged sets.

Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house. Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into ground fault circuit interrupters.

Decorations: Keep decorations away from lights, candles, heaters, fireplaces, etc. Place candles in noncombustible containers.

Holiday Entertaining: Do not leave any cooking unattended. Keep matches and lighters out of sight and reach of children.

General: Have the chimney and furnace professionally cleaned and inspected. Ensure that smoke alarms are working.

If you plan to be away from home during the holidays, here are some helpful tips:

Suspend newspaper delivery and arrange for someone to pick up your mail or contact your mail service to hold your mail until your return.

Ensure all doors and windows are locked.

Use timers to turn lights, and possibly the TV or radio, on/off during the day/night.

Turn off your water supply or have someone enter the home and check on things daily to ensure the pipes are not frozen.

Ask a neighbour to shovel snow around your driveway and sidewalks.

Leave a generic message on your answering machine – never say that you are away, including on any social media you may subscribe to.

Leave blinds or curtain in normal position – don’t close them completely.

Close and lock the garage door. Keep your vehicle locked, especially if it has an electric garage door opener.

Make sure your home insurance doesn’t expire while you are away and that it will provide coverage for your belongings.