Tis the season to show your holiday spirit by decorating your home inside and out, and doing so safely means celebrating many more holiday seasons to come.
Benjamin Kraynek is the Assistant Fire Chief with Manitowoc Fire and Rescue.
He tells Seehafer News that it’s important you thoroughly check over those strings of lights before putting them on the tree.
“If you have frayed wires or different things like that, or if they look in rough shape, it’s probably time to replace that decoration or string of lights as that has the potential to cause a problem,” he explained.
Kraynek adds that the advent of LED lights has minimized the risk of potential fires and other accidents.
“LEDs don’t draw much amperage. They don’t get hot like the old incandescent bulbs,” he noted. “There’s less of a chance for shorts, and when you plug them in, they draw much less of your home’s power, so when you plug them in, they don’t draw down as much of your home’s power, reducing the chance of overloading circuits.”
Other safety tips to follow include following the manufacturer’s guidelines on how to properly use your decorations and checking to see if they have the UL or Underwaters Laboratories signature trademark, guaranteeing they’ve been thoroughly inspected and tested.
