With being in the midst of the holiday season, many of us are preparing for guests - whether those who are staying with us for a few days (or weeks) or simply inviting people over for a holiday dinner. Regardless of what holiday you celebrate, the last thing you want is to have to call the fire department or even the police due to an unforeseen (and often preventable) safety hazard.

To help you and your guests stay as safe as possible, here are some safety recommendations we have seen be quite helpful for homeowners:

• When cooking your holiday meal, dont get distracted or leave the stove unattended. Its easy to do when there are several people in the house, but just a short time being distracted could be enough to create a fire.
• With candles and fire pits, make sure that any flammable objects are kept at least 3 feet away from them.
• If youre leaving for the holidays to visit family, be sure to get a security system if you dont already have one. Break-ins are never fun, and getting a call from the police interrupting your stay is less than ideal.
• Consider using LED candles or be careful with real ones. When children are running around, laughing, and screaming, its natural for them to bump into things. One quick bump into the table, and suddenly the candle is tipping over and falling to the floor, catching your rug on fire. This can be avoided by simply switching over to LED candles.
• Have a safety gate in front of your fireplace to prevent anyone burning themselves - children and pets alike.

We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season! And should you notice that you dont have a fireplace, but would love to have one next year, we atOakington Realtycan help you find the perfect house with a fireplace for Christmas 2022.

All the best!

Oakington Realty