How to Prevent an Electrical Fire During the Holidays

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Use holiday decorations that have been approved for safety by national laboratories.

   Decoration packaging will contain seals or labels that indicate the product is safe to use in your home.
   
   Using decorations that lack a safety approval may be hazardous, and can trigger an electrical fire.
2. 2

   Step 2: Inspect the physical condition of all electrical decorations before use.

   Electrical decorations should not display any loose or frayed wires, loose or cracked bulbs, or any other physical faults.
   
   If these features are present, avoid using the decorations to prevent an electrical fire. , Some outlets cannot support multiple connections, and may become overloaded and trigger an electrical fire as a result.
   
   Plug your decorations into multiple outlets, and read the instructions included with your decorations to determine the safest method for use. , If you replace a bulb with a higher wattage than is required, you can potentially cause the entire string of lights to overheat and start a fire. , Leaving your decorations unsupervised means that nobody is around to notice any fire that might start.
   
   Lights and other electrical components become overheated due to being left on for an extended period of time.
3. 3

   Step 3: Refrain from plugging multiple electrical decorations into one specific outlet.

4. 4

   Step 4: Replace bulbs in light strings with those of the same wattage

5. 5

   Step 5: when applicable.

6. 6

   Step 6: Turn off or unplug all electrical decorations when leaving the house or going to sleep.

Detailed Guide

About the Author