Don’t Let Your Christmas Decorations Burn Down Your Holiday

Like most families, we spend a good majority of the holiday season admiring our beautiful Christmas decorations. As Jeri Christmas, one of my favorite holiday decors is the tree. All the sparkling lights and the beautiful ornaments warms my heart, especially when my tree is adorned with ornaments made by my children and grandchildren.

That's why in National Lampoons infamous "Christmas Vacation," my heart breaks a little when the family Christmas tree goes up in smoke.

First, the cat gets fried because it's chewing on the lights. Then as grandpa is lighting his stogie, the tree becomes ablaze. This is great comedy for a chaotic family Christmas movie, but it all can easily become a reality if we're not careful with our flammable holiday decorations.

Keep your real trees watered and away from heat sources!

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, more than one in every five Christmas tree fires were caused by a heat source too close to the tree. This includes a radiator, space heater, fire places, candles and more. And if you have a real tree in your home, watering it just might save your home and family!

Pay attention to your holiday lights, too!

As you're putting out more holiday lights, be sure to read the manufacturer's instructions for the number of light strands to connect! You probably don't want to cause a city-wide power outage during this upcoming arctic blast.

And don't forget about your candles!

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, half of the home decoration fires in December are started by candles. And more than one third of home decoration fires overall are ignited by candles! Be sure to keep candles 12 inches away from anything that could burn. And maybe think about using battery-operated flameless candles instead.

Check out the full holiday decorations safety infographic below from the U.S. Fire Administration and stay safe this holiday season!