HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- After you finish your turkey and stuffing, it’s likely many of you will start to “deck the halls” for Christmas.
The holiday season marks one of the busiest times of the years for Henrico County firefighters, and they want to make sure you decorate safely.
"This is the big kickoff weekend to make your house look great for the holidays coming up," explained Henrico Fire Battalion Chief Doug Reynolds. "We will see several Christmas tree fires. It's always a tragedy, but it always seems to pull on our heartstrings here at the holidays."
So what can you do to help prevent firefighters from having to knock on your door?
Reynolds says the first step is picking the right tree.
“This is an artificial tree, and as a general rule, they're safer than a live tree," he noted.
But if you’re set on a Fraser fir, make sure you choose a fresh one.
"Understand when you say fresh, it could have been, you know cut last month up in Michigan and has been on truck to Richmond," said Reynolds. "So when you go to pick one, grab the needles, see if they're coming off. Shake the tree. If there's a lot raining down, this may not be the freshest tree for you.”
Also be sure to keep that tree at least 36 inches away from any heat source, including vents.
When it comes to stringing lights on your tree, try to use fewer than five strands, if possible, and make sure all of the bulbs are working and aren’t cracked.
"Why jeopardize your holidays over a $5 box of lights?" asked Reynolds. "This was actually our set that we normally put on my little fire tree in there, and we found that half of them were not working. So these are going into the trash.”
Extension cords are actually one of the leading causes of holiday fires, according to Henrico Fire.
“We're all guilty of using too many extension cords for the holidays," noted Reynolds. P"lease don't daisy chain them, and that's where you put several extension cords together."
Instead, he says try buying a longer cord and a surge protector.
If you're looking to decorate with candles, Reynolds suggests purchasing those that are battery operate, but if not, be sure to keep the flames at least 12 inches away from other objects.
"Candles usually come into the top five for reasons of fires," he said. "That's a live flame in your house, so let's just reduce the chance of having a problem."
Now to the outdoor decor. If you're hanging wreaths or lights, make sure your extension cords are rated for outdoor use.
"Always look for like the UL label," Reynolds explained. "that means it's met a minimum testing standard here in the United States."
Also, keep spotlights and gutters free of leaves.
"If you don't listen to any other thing I say today, you got to have a working smoke detector at your house," said Reynolds. "Don't trust your family’s life to luck."
If you don’t have a smoke detector, you can call any Richmond area fire department and they will come install one for you for free.
Another big tip, be sure to turn off all of your lights when you leave your home or go to bed.
