10 ways to put safety at the top of your holiday list

If you consider winter heating, overloaded electrical circuits, and flammable decorations, you’ll understand why December is prime time for home fires. Here are some old and new suggestions for a safe holiday season.

1. Look for the fire-resistant label on artificial trees and decorations.

2. Buy a natural tree that is really fresh. It should be very green and have needles that are hard to pull off. A twig shouldn’t break when it’s bent.

3. For outside decorations, buy only those made specifically for outdoors. Use heavy-duty extension cords and plug them into circuits that have a ground-fault interrupter.

4. Get a remote control to easily turn off lights before you go to sleep or when it snows or rains.

5. Avoid cooking fires by staying in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop.

6. Put candles in heat-resistant containers and place them where they can’t burn something or get knocked down.

7. Before lighting a fireplace or wood stove, clear the area of tree boughs, paper, and other combustibles. Never burn gift wrappings in a fireplace. They could cause a flash fire.

8. Protect small children by keeping decorations out of their reach. Inspect toys for small parts that could cause choking and keep scissors used for wrapping gifts away from children.

9. Be sure to lock doors and windows. Thieves think you have money and valuable gifts in your home. Put indoor and outdoor lights on a timer and leave a radio or television on when you leave the house.

10. If cold weather makes you want to use an indoor heater of any kind, be sure it is positioned well away from curtains, trees and decorations. Never stack things on top of space heaters.