By Amanda Lubinski
ALubinski@cherryroad.com

Decorating homes and businesses is a long-standing tradition around the holiday season, with many putting up Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, these same decorations may increase the chance of a fire.

To keep your home and family safe, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends the following:

• Inspect holiday lights each year before putting them up. Throw away light strands with frayed or pinched wires.

• Water natural Christmas trees every day. A dry tree is dangerous because it can catch on fire easily.

• Consider using battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles.

• If you do use lit candles, keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that burns. Make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be knocked down easily.

• Turn off holiday lights before going to bed or leaving the home.

According to the NFPA, between 2018 and 2022, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 155 home fires per year that started with Christmas trees. U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 835 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees.

“Once ignited, a dry Fraser fir bursts into flames in 7 seconds and is consumed by fire in slightly more than a minute. While a well-watered Fraser fir briefly ignites, the flame soon dies out —reducing the hazard,” reports the Missouri Fire Marshal’s Office.

Do not put a Christmas tree within 3 feet of a fireplace, space heater, radiator or heat vent, urges the fire marshal’s office.

In addition to posing a fire risk, Christmas decorations can cause choking and other safety hazards for small children and pets.

“Decorate with children in mind. Do not put ornaments that have small parts or metal hooks, or look like food or candy, on the lower branches where small children can reach them. Trim protruding branches at or below a child’s eye level and keep lights out of reach,” reads the state fire marshal’s website.