Holiday decorating & lighting
Use caution with holiday decorations and whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible materials.
Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees.
Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. Do not overload extension cords.
Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insulation (i.e., using clips, not nails.)
Trees
When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant."
When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break.
When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.
Cut a few inches off the trunk of your tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water absorption and will help to keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.
Fireplaces
Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from fireplace area. Check to see that the flue is open.
Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten.
Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely
Security
Use your home burglar alarm system.
If you plan to travel for the holidays don’t discuss your plans with strangers.
Have a trusted friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your home.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this site is not legal advice, but general
information on legal issues commonly encountered. HRtoGo.com is not a law
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