Fire Safety for the Holidays in the Philippines

Although fire prevention month is anytime soon, the holidays is a season in the Philippines with increased rates of home fires. If you are going to improve your house plans to be more Christmas-y, you might want to consider these suggestions to make your home safe while being full of cheer at the same time.

Plug out Lights

This should almost be a no-brainer but sparkly lights and being flashy might get the best of lights. We Filipinos are used to turning on the Christmas lights and leaving them on for people to admire until the morning comes but this is both impractical and hazardous. Pull the plug on the Christmas lights around 10pm-12am.

Mind Heat Sources

Where there’s heat, there’s a hazard. Determine areas in the house where heat is generated. If you have fairy lights install, check to see that the bulbs aren’t heating up and that they are not situated adjacent to flammable materials. Mind where you place candles and when you light them up; make sure they are situated far from flammable products like wood, paper, plastics and other object that burn easily.. You house plan in the Philippines should have a cohesive a aesthetic but it also should be laid out with safety in mind, bringing us to our next item.

Determine Perimeter

After determining heat sources, plan a perimeter around them. Aside from heat sources, you must also mind electric wall outlets and extension outlets. As a rule of thumb, don’t overload extension cords. Where there is a heat source make sure that anything that is flammable isn’t directly next to it; put a 12 inch perimeter around all of these problematic areas including every juncture where you plug electronics.

Invest in an Extinguisher

It might not look fashionable but it sure is reassuring. Get a fire extinguisher and place it in your home in such a way that it can easily be seen and accessed in case of a fire. It doesn’t even seem as an expensive investment considering that you could potentially save your whole house for the price of a single extinguisher.

Aside from all of these, it would be good to also draw the house plans’ layout and determine the quickest routes to safety for the benefit of anyone staying in your home. Keep your home in the Philippines full of Christmas cheer and all-time safety!