With the holiday season here, it’s important to keep your holiday joyful and prevent any disasters. As homes are starting to look more festive and holiday parties are becoming more common, now is a great time to remind yourself and family on how to stay safe from fire.

Below are the top mistakes that can cause a blaze during the holiday season.

1)    Leaving your stovetop unattended

With the holidays come a lot of meal preparation and guests in the home. Holiday chefs must stay in the kitchen and supervise what they are cooking. It’s very easy to get distracted by company and the bustle of holiday gatherings.

2)    Smoking indoors

Hosting a holiday party means hosting guests, possibly even guests that smoke. may bring guests that smoke. It’s important to remind smokers to smoke outdoors and avoid smoking when tired.

As a smoker, remember to always extinguish and safely dispose of your cigarette butts. Never throw cigarette butts off a balcony or dispose of them using a planter. No one wants their holidays to go up in smoke.

3)    Overloading your power outlets and using frayed wiring

It’s not always healthy to have your electrical outlet put on extra weight. A mess of overloaded outlets and cords can cause fires.

Remember to check your decorations and lights to ensure they’re in working order and don’t have any damage or frayed wiring. Be sure to check that the recommended indoor and outdoor use is followed.

Finally, the holidays are often a time for giving and gratitude – what better way to say “I love you so much it’s alarming” than the gift of a brand new, 10-year sealed smoke and carbon monoxide alarm? If that’s too much, you should just give your current alarms some love for being there for your family all year long and push that test button.

For more information about fire safety, visit mississauga.ca/fire.