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Keep Disaster Away When You Deck the Halls

When decorating for the holidays, keep in mind that decorations such as candles and Christmas trees can lead to disaster.

According to InsuranceRequests.com, 12.9 million individuals have experienced a house fire during the holidays caused by a cooking accident, 9.7 million have had a house fire caused by candles and 6.5 million have had fires started because of their Christmas trees.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that Christmas tree fires cause about $17.5 million in direct property damage each year, while fires caused by decorations result in about $13.4 million in property damage.

“Fire is definitely one of the most expensive kinds of insurance claims, frequently causing more damage than wind or storm claims,” said Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst at InsuranceRequests.com.

Take these steps to prevent fire damage:

• When cooking, be sure to clean any grease on your stove top or in your oven that can ignite easily. Keep the area free of other objects that can catch fire such as oven mitts or containers.
• Make sure candles are always in sight. Extinguish them if you leave the room.
• Be sure to water live Christmas trees regularly. Throw the tree out once the needles become dry or fall off.
• Keep your Christmas tree at least three feet from any heat source. Check that the lights you hang on the tree don’t have wires that are damaged or frayed.

Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage. Take inventory of what you own and categorize major items, such as furniture, electronics and art work, to accurately assess their value.

Call Nadine at E. R. Munro and Company at 1-877-376-8676, Ext. 136, to discuss your homeowners insurance coverage.