Keep your decorated home safe this holiday season with these fire prevention tips

Christmastime is almost here. If you’re planning on getting into the holiday spirit with trees, lights and other decor this holiday season, here are some tips from experts to avoid fires in your home.

Artificial Christmas decorations, including trees, are selling out quickly due to global supply chain issues, meaning that more people than usual might have real trees in their homes this year, USA Today reported.

Christmas tree fires are not common but can be very serious, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

If you plan on having a real tree in your home, the NFPA recommends that you pick one with fresh, green needles that don’t fall off easily when the tree is touched.

Dried-out trees are at greater risk of catching fire, Heather Carpenter with Oregon’s Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue told KATU. Once you choose a fresh tree, make sure to water it daily and check it for falling needles.

“It’s really important to check it every day. You could run your hand down a branch, and if needles are falling off the tree, it’s too dry, and it’s time to dispose of that tree,” Carpenter told KATU.

It’s also important to choose the right spot for the tree in your home. The NFPA urges decorators to keep their trees at least three feet away from heat sources, including “fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.”

Cooking-related fires and candle fires may also ignite nearby Christmas decorations, Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck told KTNV.

Because of that, people should make sure lit candles are in stable candle holders on surfaces where they’re not likely to fall over or be knocked down. Candles should not be left in empty rooms or rooms with unattended children, and candles should not be used to decorate Christmas trees, the NFPA said.

The NFPA also recommends that decorators:

• Make sure that any lights put on trees are free of broken cords or loose bulb connections, and that they’re being properly used -- some lights are designated for only indoor or only outdoor use.

• Turn Christmas lights off before leaving the house or going to bed.

• Avoid overloading electrical outlets.

This story was originally published December 1, 2021 at 8:04 AM with the headline "Keep your decorated home safe this holiday season with these fire prevention tips."