Dix Hills FD Offers Holiday Safety Tips

With the holiday season in full swing, the Dix Hills Fire Department encourages local residents to take added precautions when decorating with a live Christmas tree and when placing lights in and around homes. The DHFD offers a number of safety tips and suggestions for local residents.

Christmas Trees

• If using a live tree, choose those with green needles that are hard to pull back from the branches. Needles should not break from freshly cut trees.
• Bounce the tree on the ground; if lots of needles fall off, the tree has probably dried out and is a fire hazard.
• Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including fireplaces or heat vents.
• Do not put your tree up too early or leave it up longer than two weeks.
• Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
• Unplug lights from the tree before going to bed or leaving the house.
• Dispose of your tree properly; do not burn it in the fireplace or a wood-burning stove.

Holiday Lights and Decorations

• Inspect holiday lights every year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, and broken or cracked sockets before putting them up.
• Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory, such as UL or FM.
• Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe.
• Periodically check the wires ― they should never be warm to the touch.
• Do not leave holiday lights on unattended.
• Use only nonflammable decorations and keep all decorations away from fireplaces and heat vents.
• Never put wrapping paper in a fireplace; it can result in a very large fire and throw off dangerous sparks and embers that can cause a chimney fire.

Use Candles with Care

• If you do use candles, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be knocked over.
• Never leave the house with candles burning.
• Never put a lit candle on a Christmas tree ― real or artificial.
• Keep burning candles out of the reach of children and pets.
• Always extinguish candles before going to bed or leaving the house.

Now and throughout the year make sure that you have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed on every level of your home; they are required by law and are the best defense in escaping serious injury or death. Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times. Detectors save lives!