Tis the season, Christmas. Decorating the tree, putting up Christmas lights, family get togethers and presents! Over the next 2 weeks we will look at ways to prevent a tragic fire during this festive season.
Let’s first look at Christmas lights. Recently in Florida a family lost all their Christmas gifts, their tree, and had significant smoke damage to their house when, after finishing decorating the tree they went out for pizza. A light apparently started the fire on the tree. They were gone just 20 minutes. If you follow the listed steps you improve your safety profile during the Holiday season and can prevent this from happening to you!
Christmas Light Safety Tips:
1. Make sure your lights are UL listed.
2. Inspect lights for damaged sockets, loose connections, frayed wires, and broken lights.
3. Never run wiring under carpeting.
4. Never leave lights on when you leave the house.
5. If you put up lights outside make sure they are approved for outdoor use.
6. Do not overload outlets and extension cords, and use surge protectors when possible.
7. If you have pets make sure they do not play with or chew on the cord.
Terry Flanagan - NIFAST Director of Education and Certification
