The holiday season is here and with it is the increased excitement about adorning homes with traditional decorations. As beautiful as they are, holiday decorations are an added home fire hazard.
Cal Fire offers the following safety tips to ensure a fire-safe holiday season:
Christmas Trees
• When selecting your Christmas tree, choose a fresh one with green needles.
• Check the water level in the tree stand every day. Never let the water level go below the bottom of the trunk.
• Keep the tree at least three feet away from any heat source including fireplaces, and heating vents.
• Decorate Christmas trees with laboratory-approved lights only.
• Never use lit candles to decorate a tree.
• Unplug Christmas tree lights when leaving home or going to bed.
Holiday Decorations
• Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
• Use indoor lights indoors and outdoor lights outdoors.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections.
• Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged.
• Keep decorations away from windows and doors.
For more holiday safety tips, visit the Cal Fire website at www.fire.ca.gov.
