Candles

• More than half of the home decoration fires in December are started by candles.
• The top 3 days for home candle fires are Christmas Day, New Year's Day and New Year's Eve.
• Keep candles away from anything that burns.
• Use flameless candles near flammable materials.
• Before leaving the room extinguish the candle and never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle.

Christmas Trees

• Do not place trees in areas that block hallways, exit ways, or doors.
• A heat source too close to the Christmas Tree causes 1 in every 4 winter fires.
• Do not have any open flames (candles, lanterns, and heaters) near the tree or any other flammable material.
• Make sure heating ducts are off or pointed away from the tree to avoid drying out the tree.
• Check the tree's water level daily, make sure there is enough water to submerge the fresh cut section of the trunk.
• Remove the tree from your home when the tree becomes dry.

Lights

• Before hanging your lights look for frayed wires, damaged bulb sockets, and worn insulation.
• When working on a ladder keep yourself centered and do not overreach.
• Don't overload the outlet by plugging in too many lights. Only connect up to the maximum set of lights found on the box.
• Use outdoor rated extension cords outside and plug them into a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupting) outlet.

Space Heaters

• Purchase space heaters that have a label showing that it is listed by a recognized testing laboratory.
• Plug the space heater directly into the outlet. Do not use an extension cord or power strip which could overheat.
• Avoid placing the heater in high traffic areas and anywhere they may pose a tripping hazard.
• Keep all flammable materials at least three feet from the heat!
• Unplug the heater when it is not in use.