Holiday Safety

• Choose flame-resistant or flame-retardant holiday decorations.
• Keep lit candles away from decorations.
• Use lights that have an independent testing laboratory label. Some are only for indoor or outdoor use – not both.
• Replace any light strings with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini light sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. Use clips, not nails, to hang lights, so the cords do not get damaged.

Entertaining

• Keep an eye on the range. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S.
• Keep matches and lighters out of sight and reach of children (preferably in a locked cabinet).

Fireplaces

• Before lighting a fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from the fireplace area and check to see that the flue is open.
• Never burn wrapping paper in the fireplace. It can start flash fires.
• Place a screen around your fireplace to prevent sparks from igniting anything nearby.

Fireworks

• Around the Fourth of July holiday, 240 people on average go to the emergency room each day with fireworks-related injuries. Keep your children safe, and do not allow them to play with fireworks.
• Even so-called "harmless" fireworks can pose injuries. Sparklers can burn at 2,000 degrees and often cause more injuries than other more massive fireworks.
• If fireworks do not ignite, never try to re-light them.