Christmas Safety Tips: Avoiding Fire Hazards

It's important to remember that with the holiday cheer comes added safety hazards. Bringing a Christmas tree inside your home or decorating its exterior with colorful lights doesn't come without some necessary safety precautions. To ensure that you have a safe holiday season, take a few minutes to read these safety tips.

Where to put your tree

Make sure that wherever you decide to put your Christmas tree that it's clear of any fireplace, stove, candles, or any other source of heat. Things have been especially dry in the desert lately, so a tree fire in the Las Vegas valley might escalate quicker than in other areas. Keeping your tree away from anything that could ignite a flame is important.

Water and mount your tree properly

Keeping your tree well watered is one of the most important safety steps you can take. Make sure you check the following when watering your tree:

• Check the water level every two hours on the first day, and daily after that.
• If you aren't setting your tree up immediately, place it outside in a bucket of water. Cutting a couple inches off the bottom of the tree can also help water absorption if the tree has been left outside for a few days.
• Always keep enough water in the tree stand to reach the bottom of the tree's trunk.

Mounting your tree properly is also important to making sure it doesn't easily tip over. It's recommended that the base you mount your tree with be able to hold one quart of water for every inch in diameter of the tree trunk.

For a complete safety guide, click here: http://www.safebee.com/home/ho....

Remember to keep your tree away from hallways or other high traffic areas of your home.

Christmas lights

A list of things not to do when setting up your holiday lights:

Do not:

• Leave lights on overnight or unattended. If you're leaving home, shut your lights off.
• Use lights or extension cords that are worn out or frayed, as they can cause electrical fires.
• Overload extension cords.

All of these holiday safety tips are easy to remember and follow. You probably won't even notice following them, but these safety steps could make the difference for you and your family this holiday season.

Image via Samatha Torres