Ten Christmas Tree Safety Tips
- Buy fresh. The fresher and healthier the tree, the less likely it is to be a fire hazard.
- Keep it hydrated. Making sure your tree stand always has water will make your tree less flammable.
- Always have a fire extinguisher nearby, and make sure everyone in the house knows how to use it.
- If you have an artificial tree with a metal base, don’t use electric lights. The metal can act as a conductor and lead to electrocution.
- Water your tree daily. The drier the branches, the more flammable your tree becomes.
- Don’t plug too many strings of lights into one extension cord.
- Watch where you’re stringing your lights to prevent any tripping hazards.
- Never leave your lights on overnight. You can get a timed outlet to make sure this doesn’t happen.
- Using low-energy lights will not only benefit your electric bill but are also proven to be safer.
- Never use any lights that look damaged or frayed, and certainly never try to fix old ones yourself.
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Excerpted from Holiday Hacks by Keith Bradford. Copyright © 2018 Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Interior design by Katrina Machado.
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