Every holiday season, U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 200 home fires that started with lighted trees, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Electrical problems caused 1/3 of these incidents. Fortunately, these fires are not common, but when they occur they are almost always serious.
To make sure your holiday season remains cheerful, keep the following safety tips in mind while decorating your home:
- Use lights that have been tested for safety. Look for "UL" on the tag, which means the lights have been approved by Underwriters Laboratories, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification.
- Inspect lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed wires, or loose connections. If you encounter any of these problems, throw them away.
- Limit the number of light strands to 3 per outlet. For added safety, use a power strip with a built-in circuit breaker instead of a wall outlet.
- Replace incandescent lights with LEDs. They generate less heat, which makes them a safer choice both indoors and out. LED lights also last much longer and use 75% less electricity — 2 additional reasons to make the switch.
- Use the right lights. For outdoor decorations, use only light strings and extension cords rated for outdoor use.
- Be careful with extension cords. Avoid running extension cords in high-traffic areas where people could trip over them. Don't hide extension cords under rugs or beneath furniture, where they could become frayed or overheat.
- Turn off lights late at night or when nobody is home. Make safety more convenient by plugging decorations into timer controls, which automatically turn lights on and off according to a set schedule.
- Plug safely outdoors. Make sure outdoor lights are plugged into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet. These are designed to protect against shock by automatically turning off when a change in electrical flow occurs.
Before you brighten up the holidays with indoor and outdoor light displays that everyone will love, keep everyone safe with these tips.