Home Farm Bureau: Tips to keep your family safe during the holiday season
Virginia News

Farm Bureau: Tips to keep your family safe during the holiday season

Crystal Graham
cutting christmas tree
(© pikselstock – stock.adobe.com)

As the holiday season nears with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in the next couple of months, taking safety precautions may keep your family safe during the celebrations.

Preventative safety measures are important for festive displays for all three holidays.

“Just a few precautions to prevent fire and injury can keep your home and family safe during the upcoming holidays,” said Scott DeNoon, vice president of underwriting and policy services for Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. “This includes testing smoke alarms, and ensuring flashlights, fire extinguishers and electrical decor are ready for use.”

Halloween safety

To stay safe while trick-or-treating, the Virginia Department of Health advises families to:

  • wear reflective clothing
  • carry a fully charged flashlight
  • make sure costumes don’t block vision or inhibit mobility
  • Use crosswalks, and stick to the sidewalks whenever possible. Or walk on the far edge of the road, facing traffic.
  • Drivers also should be extra vigilant on Halloween night by observing speed limits and limiting distractions during increased pedestrian activity.

Thanksgiving safety

The kitchen is the heart of the home, and the source of most home fires in the United States. Thanksgiving is by far the leading day for home cooking fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Unattended cooking is the primary factor contributing to cooking fires and casualties.

The Arlington County Fire Department advises:

  • Always stay in the kitchen while frying, boiling or broiling food
  • Check food regularly while simmering, baking or roasting, and use a timer
  • Keep flammable items and children away from the stovetop
  • Small grease fire: Smother it by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop
  • Oven fire: Turn off the oven and keep the door closed
  • In case of a kitchen fire: Close the door to help contain the fire. Call 911 from a safe place outside.

Christmas safety

Christmas trees account for hundreds of fires annually, with 33 percent of those occurring in January, according to National Fire Prevention Association. The longer a natural tree is kept after Christmas, the higher the fire risk.

Smyth County Public Safety advises:

  • Placing trees away from heat sources
  • Using only nonflammable decorations
  • Inspect lights for frayed wires or defects before use
  • Do not leave lights on unattended.
  • Keep the stand for a fresh-cut tree full of water
  • Discard a dry tree immediately.
  • When purchasing new lights designed for outdoor use, the American Safety Council recommends cool-burning LED lights from a reputable manufacturer
  • Plan lighting displays around available light sockets, plugged into a GFCI outlet
  • Do not overload sockets or connect more than three strands of incandescent lights

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.