Protect Your Home In Texas With These Critical Fire Safety Tips For Holiday Decorations

It's holiday lights galore in Texas right now as folks begin putting up those festive lights and preparing for all things that are Christmas.

While putting up all the lights and decorations can be fun, if you don't practice a little safety, you could see your holiday season come falling down in a heap of ashes.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 835 structure fires per year that begin with holiday decorations. On average, these fires will claim 4 lives, injure 30, and cause over $14 million in property damages.

Many of these fires are started for various reasons, including faulty wiring in Christmas trees, candle fires, and even from cooking that big holiday feast.

The NFPA works to educate folks about potential fire risks during the holidays, offering tip sheets, videos, and other resources to help everyone safely enjoy the season.

To help keep you and your family safe, here are some fire safety tips to remember.

Fire Safety Tips

• If you have an artificial tree, be sure it’s labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as fire-retardant.
• If you choose a fresh tree, make sure the green needles don’t fall off when touched.  Before placing it in the stand, cut 2 inches from the base of the trunk. Add water to the tree stand daily.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit and is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, candles, heat vents, or lights.
• Use lights that have the label of a recognized testing laboratory and make sure you know whether they are designed for indoor or outdoor use.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for the maximum number of light strands to connect.
• Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.\
• Do not overload electrical outlets.
• Never use candles on trees.
• Never run electrical cords through doorways or under carpet.
• After Christmas, properly dispose of or recycle the tree. Dried-out trees are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home or garage or placed outside the home.
• Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make the lights last longer.