The holiday season has arrived and many people are starting to decorate their homes.
Decorating your home is a great way to kick off the holidays, but be sure to stay safe while you decorate!
Here are a few tips from the Portsmouth Police Department:
- If you purchase an artificial tree, always look for the label “Fire Resistant”.
- Using a live tree? Keep it from drying out by ensuring the stand is filled with water.
- Never set up a Christmas tree close to a fireplace, radiator, and portable heater.
- Check all tree lights for broken sockets, blown fuses, loose connections, etc. before hanging them on your tree.
- Be sure all lights that you use outdoors are certified for outdoor use.
- Use insulated staples or hooks to hold lights in place. Never use nails or tacks.
- Never pull or tug on lights to remove them from your home.
- Turn off all decorative lights before going to bed or leaving your home.
- Never use lighted candles on a tree or near evergreens. This can cause a fire.
- Do not use decorations that are sharp, breakable, have removable parts or look like food/candy if you have small children or pets in your home.
- Remove wrapping papers, bags, ribbon and bows from around your tree and fireplace after gifts are opened as they can start a fire if exposed to an open flame.
