The holidays are a wonderful time to get everyone together. Unfortunately, they can also mean a greater risk of a fire in someone’s home. The American Red Cross offers simple steps to prevent home fires starting from your holiday decorations.
December is the peak time for home fires involving candles and holiday decorations. Help protect your family by using battery-operated candles and practicing your two-minute escape plan with everyone in your household.”
HOLIDAY DECORATING SAFETY TIPS Follow these safety tips and to keep your family safe and your home from catching on fire.
If you must use candles, keep them away from anything that could burn, and place them out of reach of pets and children. Never leave burning candles unattended.
Check all holiday light cords to ensure they aren’t frayed or broken. Don’t string too many strands of lights together — no more than three per extension cord.
Ensure outside decorations are for outdoor use and fasten lights securely to your home or trees. If using hooks or nails outside, make sure they are insulated to avoid an electrocution or fire hazard.
If buying an artificial tree, look for a fire-resistant label. When putting it up, keep it away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat. Never use electric lights on metallic trees.
If getting a live tree, make sure it’s fresh and keep it watered. To test if the tree is fresh, bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles fall off.
Don’t light the fireplace if hanging stockings or other decorations on the mantel.
Consider purchasing LED lights. They use less energy and run cooler than traditional incandescent lights.
Use caution when decorating outdoors near power lines. Keep yourself and your equipment at least 10 feet away from power lines.
Do not place extension cords where they could create a tripping hazard, like doorways.
Inspect all electrical decorations for damage before use. Damaged cords can cause a serious shock or can start a fire.
Avoid overloading electrical outlets. Only plug one high-wattage appliance into each outlet.
Protect electrical cords from damage. Cords should never be pinched by furniture, forced into small spaced, placed under rugs, located near heat sources, or attached by nails or staples.
Turn off all indoor and outdoor electrical decorations before leaving home or going to sleep.
Keep all extension cords and light strings away from snow and standing water.
Always unplug electrical decorations before replacing bulbs of fuses. #holidaysafety #holidaydecorating
Source: American Red Cross