Tornados and leaky toilets: 5 Aussies’ tales of Christmas chaos 

Ahh, Christmas – a time of cheer, togetherness, celebration, gifts and…. absolute chaos.

We've all had a Christmas Day that went a bit off the rails.

It might be the fairy lights that short-circuited the house, the BBQ that caught fire, or the leftovers sneakily fed to the pet, who then needed a trip to the emergency vet on December 25.

Here, a handful of Aussies share their tales of Christmas chaos:

"They called me in a panic"

"A couple of years ago, when I was away on Christmas Day, my roommates back home called me in a panic to say the toilet had blocked, flooding the bathroom floor and hallway. It was actually a disaster! They called the landlord and it did get fixed on Christmas Day by an emergency plumber, at a very high cost to the landlord, and they were pretty upset. I have no idea why it flooded – it's an older house built in the 70s and it was not the only time we've had it flood. Grateful none of our personal belongings got damaged!" - Zoe S, content strategist, Brisbane

"The glass literally exploded"

"My mum and dad were preparing for Christmas dinner and they decided that it was a bit hot outside, so to help with seating inside, they brought the outdoor table inside. The table itself was one of those glass-topped outdoor settings. They pick it up, walk through the side door from their patio – and all of the glass literally exploded from the inside outwards. There was glass everywhere, and dozens of tiny cuts on shins and hands. It was a huge clean up! The next day they darted to Bunnings and managed to get a piece of plywood cut to size, to fit the space where the glass went. The plywood is still on that table today!" - Meagan G, teacher, Gold Coast

"It flew straight up!"

"One year, long before I was born, my grandfather popped a champagne cork and it flew straight up and smashed the fluorescent tube lights above the table – which shattered and showered Christmas lunch with fragments of glass. No was hurt, thankfully, but no lunch was served that year." - Richard W, writer and editor, Melbourne

"I rushed over…"

"We learned the hard way that my dog, an aging shih tzu maltese, was very dairy intolerant. On Christmas Day, I told my mum he couldn't cope with any dairy or really, any leftovers, so please don't give him anything. An hour later, I saw her put two bowls of ice-cream on the floor – one for her dog, one for mine. I rushed over to pick it up but Snoopy had already inhaled most of it. 'I asked you not to give him anything!' I protested. 'Don't be silly,' my mum replied. It's Christmas, he deserves a treat'. Thankfully, we avoided the cost of an emergency trip to the vet – but I can't tell you what a 'treat' it was to clean up his diarrhea that progressively worsened through the rest of the night." - David C, radio broadcaster, Gold Coast

"Our house got smashed by the tornado"

"On Christmas Day 2023, our house got smashed by the tornado that swept through the Gold Coast. It caused $60,000 worth of damage to our roof, mailbox and fence – thanks goodness we had an excellent home insurance policy that covered everything, so we were only out of pocket an $800 excess. We even got a payout of $500 for all the food that went off in our fridge and freezer." - Craig W, business development manager, Gold Coast

How to keep the chaos at bay this Christmas

More house fires happen during the Christmas period than at any other time of year, according to Chris Madikian, electrical expert at The Local Electrician – but a few simple actions can lower your risks.

To start with, don't plug in too many appliances and gadgets to your power points.

"Overloading power points could result in overheating or fire," Chris says. "Use a surge protector to help keep [your appliances] safe from power surges, especially during bad weather."

Make sure you're using Christmas lights and fairy lights specifically labelled for indoor or outdoor purposes, as outdoor lights can handle rain, while indoor lights can't.

"Keep outdoor connections dry by using waterproof extension cords and covers for outdoor lights and power points to protect them from rain or damp conditions," Chris advises.

"Christmas lights add a wonderful sparkle to the festive period, but safety must come first. Christmas is unfortunately the worst time of the year for house fires, with overloaded power points, faulty decorations and unattended lights being common culprits. A simple check of your lights and following basic precautions can prevent accidents and fires."