Dec 4, 2023 3 min read

Decorating the interior and exterior of a home is a beloved holiday season tradition in millions of households. Such decor makes it easy to dive into the festive nature of the season.

Many people could not imagine a holiday season without decorating their homes, and it’s vital that celebrants do so safely. Fire safety is especially important during a time of year when string lights and potentially dried out trees feature so prominently. These fire safety tips can ensure this holiday season is safe.

• Buy the safest lights. It might be tempting to buy the most inexpensive lights, especially given all the extra costs already associated with the holiday season. However, safety should be the utmost priority when buying new lights. Testing laboratories such as CSA, Intertek and UL certify products to ensure they’re safe for use. Products that aren’t certified should be avoided.

“Having fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in your home is a good start,” said Christa Merrick, agent for Day Insurance in Washington. “It’s a good idea to have an electrician check outlets and voltage. Keep decorations away from heaters and radiators.

“Reviewing your insurance policy and premiums is also a good idea. In general, prepare for the worst,” she said.

• Use lights and cords where they’re intended to be used. The packaging on lights will indicate if the product is intended to be used indoors or outdoors. It’s vital that individuals decorating their homes with lights pay attention to these labels. Never decorate the exterior of a home with interior lights, and vice versa. Extension cords made for indoors also should not be used outdoors and vice versa.

• Be especially careful with candles. Candles should only be burned when adults are in the room and should always be extinguished before leaving the room or going to bed. When burning candles, place them on heat-resistant surfaces that are beyond the reach of curious kids and pets. Never place candles within arm’s length of Christmas trees or houseplants, including poinsettias.

• Ask an electrician to inspect your exterior outlets and circuits. Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets are designed to prevent electric shocks and reduce the risk of electrical fires. Most areas now require new homes be built exclusively with GFCIs, which are recognizable because they feature two buttons between the outlets. But older homes may not be equipped with GFCIs, particularly with exterior outlets. GFCI installation is not an especially expensive job, so homeowners should ask an electrician to inspect their interior and exterior outlets and replace non-GFCIs with GFCIs.

“I would say never use old or faulty lights,” said Anthony Sacco, a State Farm Insurance Agent in Bethel Park. “It’s not that expensive to purchase new lights to create as safe of conditions as possible. I wouldn’t keep the lights on for extended periods of time.

“Any type of wax candles should be placed on some type of protective plate. Safety is of utmost importance,” he noted.

• Do not pinch light cords. Stringing lights can be a hassle, but cords should never be pinched in doors or windows or beneath interior and exterior furniture. Doing so increases the risk of damage to the cord, which in turn increases the likelihood of fire.

• Avoid overloading circuits. Overloaded circuits pose a significant fire hazard. When plugging in lights, choose outlets that aren’t already occupied by devices and other electronics. If need be, unplug appliances like televisions and devices while lights are on and plugged in.