Kidde is an advertiser of Sonoran Living.
Kidde Helps Families Decorate Safely this Holiday Season
The holidays are a special time for families to connect, celebrate, and pull out their favorite decorations. While homeowners, and especially pet owners, begin to deck the halls, Kidde wants to remind them to practice simple tips to help keep their homes - and four-legged friends - safe this year. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that nearly 1,000 home fires each year are started by family pets.
Keep your decorations pet friendly this year with the following tips:
· Fireplaces and Stockings: If hanging stockings, always remove them from the fireplace before lighting a fire. Shop fire-resistant stockings for added safety as well!
· Candles: When it comes to candles, both pets and children can become curious. Remember to never leave a lit candle unattended. Consider swapping flameless candles instead to capture the same cozy ambience while practicing fire safety.
· Christmas Trees: While Christmas trees are a cheerful holiday staple for many families this time of year, they pose many hazards for pets. To help ensure the safety of families' four-legged friends, it's important to ensure trees are anchored properly. This can help avoid a dangerous situation if it falls over, catches a candle or ends up near a fireplace. In addition, block off access to the water that sits at the bottom of your tree -- dogs and cats might attempt to drink from the tree rather than their water bowl.
· Ornaments: Homeowners should consider ornaments that do not require metal hooks, as pets may want to use the hook as a play toy and accidentally swallow it. Also, be careful of broken ornaments so your furry family members do not ingest a piece of glass.
· Christmas Lights: When using Christmas lights, only connect up to three strands of lights to avoid a fire hazard. It is important to also check strands for frayed wiring. If wiring is damaged, avoid using those strands.
· Alarm Safety: Smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms must be replaced after 10 years. In addition to testing alarms once each week, check the manufacturing date on smoke and CO alarms to make sure they are under 10 years of age. If they are older than that, it is time to replace them.
For more information, call 1-800-880-6788, or go to www.kidde.com.
