Preventing Holiday Home Fires & Tips for How to Respond if One Occurs

During the holiday season, people gather with family and friends to celebrate.  These gathering often include feasts and the ambience from holiday decorations along with burning candles and glowing fireplaces.

Unfortunately, the holiday season is also a busy time for home fires.  In fact, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, nearly 47,000 fires occur during the holiday season.  These fires claim more than 500 lives and result in over $550 million in property damage. They also report that December is the peak time for home fires caused by candles and that 1 in every 3 Christmas tree fires is caused by electrical issues.

“Chimney fires, cooking fires and even children playing with matches are also significant causes of home fires this time of year,” said Tom Allen of Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters, LLC. “In addition to making sure that a home has properly operating smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher, people need to be vigilant of fire hazards in their home.  Don’t overload circuits or use holiday lights that are frayed.  Keep heat sources away from Christmas trees and keep real trees moist with plenty of water at their base. Also turn off the holiday lights and extinguish fires and candles when people are going to bed or leaving the property.”

It’s always important that people have adequate insurance to cover any loses due to a home fire and now is a good time to review existing policies.  At a minimum, the insurance policy should be able to cover any damages to the home, furnishings and personal belongings. 

For anyone faced with the aftermath of a home fire, the insurance experts at Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters are just a phone call away.  They offer their services in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to property owners of both residential and commercial properties.  Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters only represents policyholders during the entire claims process and their experts help to ensure that no damages are overlooked.  The end result provides the policyholder with the peace of mind that they will receive the most accurate insurance settlement possible so they can rebuild their home or business.