Holiday Safety

Before heading out or to bed, blow out lit candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving home or going to bed.

Holiday Decorating

It’s fun to decorate for the winter holidays, but holiday decorations can increase your risk for a home fire. As you deck the halls this season, be fire smart.

• Be careful with holiday decorations. Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.

• Keep lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn. Make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be knocked down easily.

• Consider using battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles.

• Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.

• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of light strands to connect.

• Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged.

• Keep decorations away from windows and doors.

• Water your Christmas tree every day. A dry tree is dangerous because it can catch on fire easily.

Candle Safety

• Candles should be placed in a sturdy candle holder.

• Handheld candles should not be passed from one person to another at any time.

• When lighting candles at a candle lighting service, have the person with the unlit candle dip their candle into the flame of the lit candle.

• Lit candles should not be placed in windows where a blind or curtain could catch fire.

• Candles placed on, or near tables, altars, or shrines, must be watched by an adult.

• If a candle must burn continuously, be sure it is enclosed in a glass container and placed in a sink, on a metal tray, or in a deep basin filled with water.

Holiday Entertaining

• Test your smoke alarms and tell guests about your home fire escape plan.

• Keep children and pets away from lit candles.

• Keep matches and lighters up high in a locked cabinet.

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop.

• Ask smokers to smoke outside. Remind smokers to keep their smoking materials with them so young children do not touch them.

• Provide large, deep ashtrays for smokers. Wet cigarette butts with water before discarding.