Holiday Decoration Safety

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The holidays bring joy to families around the world but hastily installed and improper use of illuminated decorations can bring tragedy to this heartwarming time of year.

The National Fire Protection Association reported that an average of 160 fires per year start from Christmas tree fires and South Zanesville Fire Department Chief Russell Taylor discussed some of the most common, dangerous mistakes people should avoid.

“The most common thing we see is, on the fire department side, is that people put a lot of lights up outside and inside and they tend to put too many drop cords that they plugged into a same outlet and overloads that outlet and the breaker doesn’t trip. It causes a fire there where they got them plugged in at, and it will set your house on fire. And so the best thing to do is plug in what the manufacturer recommends you plug in that device and do not overload it, Taylor said.”

Another major concern is Christmas tree hydration. Taylor noted that placing a real tree in a bucket of water for a few days before bringing it indoors can maximize freshness and minimize fire risks.

“If you’re going to do decorations, especially in the house, make sure there is no open flames next to it,” Taylor said. “Make sure the animals can’t get to extension cords and the bulbs to chew on them. Keep them away from kids. Make sure your tree sits so that you can’t tip it over. Not only when you set it up, run a little string or something to the wall or to the ceiling to stabilize that tree so it doesn’t get knocked over because kids and animals like to play a lot and little lights, they like to go to.”

Taylor recommends that anyone who might have questions about holiday decoration safety concerns can ask their local fire department for guidance and advice.