It’s the holiday season – a time for decorations and festivities to celebrate the season! Here are some holiday safety tips to follow to ensure we all celebrate the season safely.

Selecting a Tree

The needles on fresh trees should be green, hard to pull of the branches and should not break if the tree is freshly cut. To test of a tree is old, bounce the trunk on the ground. If a lot of needles fall off, it's probably dried out and is a fire hazard.

Caring For Your Tree

Don't put your tree close to a heat source. The heat will dry the tree out, causing it to ignite easily. Make sure to keep your tree stand filled with water.

Disposing of Your Tree

Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. The best way to dispose of a tree is to take it to a recycling center or have it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Holiday Lights

• Inspect your holiday lights each year and discard any strings that have frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking.
• Don't overload electrical outlets.Connect lights to an extension cord before plugging them into an outlet. Don't connect more than threesetsof lights to an extensioncord.
• Make sure extension cords are not running through a walkway, as it creates a tripping hazard.
• Don't close doors or windows on extension cords, or run them under rugs or carpeting.
• Don't leave holiday lights unattended!

Holiday Decorations

• Decorations should be made of flame-retardant or non-combustible materials. Keep all decorations away from heat sources. If you're using an artificial tree, make sure it's flame retardant.
• Make sure your tree or decorations don't block exits. In the event of a fire, time is of the essence and a blocked entry only delays your exit.
• Never put wrapping paper in the fireplace. This can ignite dangerous sparks and embers, causinga chimney fire.

Candle Care

• Make sure lit candles are in stable holders and put them where they can't be knocked down. Never leave your house with the candles still burning.
• Don't go near a Christmas tree with lit candles, lighters or matches.

Always use common sensewithholidaydecorations. We want everyone to enjoy the holiday season, but safety should always be the top priority.

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Information from USFA.