Helpful Holiday Tips For El Pasoans To Keep Their Homes Safe

The holidays are an especially dangerous time for homeowners. Here are the top tips for holiday home safety in El Paso according to American Home Shield a home warranty company.

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From the results of the National Crime Victimization Survey, there are a couple of crimes that specifically increase in January and December. Robbery and personal larceny, "increase by approximately 20% during the last month of the year."

This means, every year there are a bunch of jerks who are waiting for the people, who are probably traveling or buying lots of gifts, to rob and scam.

So, out of an abundance of caution and from the bottom of our hearts El Paso, here are the top holiday tips for keeping your home safe.

1. Be careful with the lights

We all know lights are essential for holidays. They're a couple of things to consider. Make sure to replace them if wires are afraid if the sockets are cracked or if the cord is tightly not kinked. Inspect your older lights and look for certification marks like UL or elt so that you know it's up to date with current protocols. Keep decorations away from lit candles. And never use electric lights on a metallic tree is single touch can short circuit the body.

2. Trees should not be smoking.

What's Christmas without a Christmas tree. When picking your Yuletide arboreal make sure you get something that's green and not dead and dry. Dry means flammable. If you're going for an artificial tree make sure that it says fire-resistant. Also, don't forget to keep your tree watered and that it doesn't block any ways of escape.

3. Not all decorations are created equal

If you didn't know some old ornaments were made with lead paint. So inspect your older ones and get rid of them if you think they might be contaminated. Also, look for the nonflammable sign again on any ornaments you're going to put near a tree.

4. Worry, having folks over

Don't leave anything in the kitchen unattended. According to the National Fire Protection Association, two out of every five home fires start in the kitchen. Get rid of the poinsettias that can make pets sick. And if you're going to have a fire in the fireplace check the flu is up.

5. Keep the house secure

Would-be criminals are everywhere especially during the holidays, so in order to stop them leave a radio or TV. This helps create the illusion of someone inside the home. That's what we call the El Paso Home security system. It's also recommended that if you have a tree or presents under the tree don't display it in front of the windows. And finally, don't keep your spare key in obvious places, and if you're going to be gone for a long time ask your neighbor to pick up your paper.

From the Buzz Adams Morning Show, we sincerely wish everybody a Happy New Year, but more importantly, we wish everybody a very safe holiday.