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The busiest time of the year has arrived! As we dive in head first into the holiday rush with shopping, cooking, and transforming our homes with festive decorations, we sometimes fail to take into consideration the most common home emergencies that tend to occur during the holiday season. Even during the most wonderful time of the year, accidents can happen that can lead to significant home damages, injuries, and even fatalities.

Arguably the country’s most favored and celebrated holiday; Thanksgiving rejoices in being thankful for family, friends, and a bountiful year. There is a plethora of fixings, trimmings and frills that are offered at the Thanksgiving feast but unquestionably the centerpiece of dinner, the turkey, requires the most planning and preparation. The conventional way of roasting a turkey as well as newfound trends such as turkey frying have become popular and widespread in recent years but it is important to remember that this process can be a dangerous fire hazard if not done appropriately.

Traditional Halloween decorations such as Halloween Paper Mache, streamers, dried cornstalks, patterned leaves, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns and lighting bonfires, etc., are enjoyed by both children and adults alike. However, it is important to recognize these conventional activities can be fire hazards and holiday decorating should be done in a nontoxic and safe manner to avoid such risks. 

Primarily, one should always keep decorations a safe 

With the official start of fall right around the corner and winter not far behind now is a good time to do some seasonal maintenance on your home. The shift between the seasons can be quick and unpredictable so it is important to prepare for both in order to avoid costly repairs and aggravation. Here are some tips for getting the interior, exterior, and garage ready for not only the fall but also the following winter months:

Ice dams are a common destructive roofing dilemma materializing during the winter months. Typically roofing concerns arise when snow melts, runs down a rooftop and refreezes near the edges. As a rule ice dams are created by having a warm attic space resulting in a combination of poor attic and roof ventilation. Ice damming can cause extensive damage to your roof, gutters, insulation and interior ice walls therefore it is imperative one learns how to prevent such.

Christmas is just around the corner! With all the hustle and bustle surrounding this magnificent and majestic holiday, this is also the time of year most folks start to buckle down with holiday trim, decor and essentials. Christmas decorations, from stunning and luminous colors lighting up picturesque neighborhoods to warm feelings spending the holidays with loved ones, there is not much to dislike about Christmas ornaments and embellishments. As with most decorations, there are some drawbacks.   Using more electricity is a natural part of the holiday season. However, danger looms due to strain put on powering these decorations among other hazards most are not aware of. 

Picturesque displays of lightning can be highly captivating to the casual onlooker but in reality these forces can bring up to and over a million volts of electricity. Lightning, along with its visual beauty, brings extreme inconsistency as to where it will strike next. While it is probably not widely acknowledged, lightning is indeed the most menacing and frequently encountered weather hazard that most people encounter each year.  A direct strike can not only tear through roofs and ignite fires but a secondary strike can potentially hit a nearby tree or power line producing structural damage and causing unwanted surges into your home respectively. Additionally, lightning strikes are the number one cause of damage to submerged well pumps. Lightning can also create havoc on appliances and electronics in your home, which, along with structural damage, can prove to be costly. 

We are officially in the middle of grilling season! Nothing says summer more than being with family and friends in the backyard playing games while enjoying hamburgers and hot dogs from the grill. Unfortunately, there comes some danger with grilling as the occurrence of grill-caused home fires increase drastically. Below are some tips to keep your home safe and decrease the chances of disaster: