Christmas Tree Safety One Key to Preventing Holiday Fires

Between the Christmas trees, holiday lights and other decorations, this season is rife with dangers that could lead to household fires.

The state fire marshal has released some helpful tips to keep homes as safe as possible.

Christmas trees can be highly flammable if not properly cared for. It starts with selecting the proper tree. The fire marshal says that the best trees have needles that are green and hard to pull back from the branches. The needles should also not break. Once the perfect tree is selected, the tree must be kept at least three feet away from any heat sources such as fireplaces and space heaters. If using an artificial tree, make sure that the tree is flame retardant.

When it comes to decorations, the fire marshal's office has some tips. For holiday lights, they suggest using lights that have been tested by a reputable company such as Underwriters Laboratories. They also say to inspect each string of lights for frayed wires, bare spots or gaps. Another tip is to not overload electrical outlets or string more than three strands of lights together.

For more information, visit the website of the Office of the State Fire Marshal.