As the Holiday Season approaches, it’s time to start showing off your decorations and getting into the spirit of Christmas. Many of us have been ambitious this year in getting the Holiday cheer started early, so we want to take the time to remind you how to avoid a disaster this Holiday Season by protecting your home and family from common decorating mistakes. Stay safe and Happy Holidays!

1. Pick The Right Tree: If you are purchasing a live tree that has already been cut, you want to make sure it’s fresh, rather than old. A fresh tree will put up some resistance when you pull needles off of it, the branches won’t snap if you bend them, and the base of the trunk will be coated in sap. Fresh trees last longer, look better, and aren’t as flammable as an older one.

2. Examine Lights: Broken, damaged, or worn bulbs on a string of lights should never be used, they pose a high-risk fire and shock threat.

3. Use Safety-Certified Lights: Are you the type of person who has been using the same Christmas decorations for years? Your lights might not pass modern safety standards and you might need to upgrade to new ones this year that are certified by Underwire Labs (UL)!

4. No Hammering: Don’t hammer a nail through the wire on your lights, use a clip instead.

5. Stay Away From Heat: Real or fake, keep trees away from fireplaces, radiators, vents, and areas of high traffic. Remember, the label, “Fire- Resistant,” doesn’t mean fire-proof.

6. Tree Care: A dry tree is more susceptible to catching on fire, for obvious reasons. Make sure to check the water level on your tree daily and keep it at a sufficient level. When you install your tree in your home, cut off about 2 inches from the bottom of the trunk for better water absorption.

7. Safe Outlets: It’s recommended that your source of power should come from a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet. This type of outlet will shut the circuit down if there is overcurrent.

8. Don’t Overload The Circut: Check the labels on your lights and decorations and make sure you conform to the proper wattage levels.

9. Lights Off At Night: When you go to bed, turn the lights off!