Holiday safety tips to keep in mind - AmericaNowNews.com

Holiday safety tips to keep in mind

Each year, homes are destroyed or damaged because the halls were decked with way too many lights.

"They've got family members coming in, they're cooking their turkey. They just don't think of fire safety," says John Patterson, a safety expert with Home Depot.

Patterson says lights are one of the main causes of holiday house fires. Overloaded circuits or using the wrong extension cord: Patterson says those problems can be prevented by using outdoor approved cords and lights, not plugging too many lights into one socket, and making sure your Christmas tree isn't fuel for a potential fire.

"Always rub the branches from back to front and if they start falling off, beware of that tree," says Patterson.

Some holiday mishaps don't involve flammables, but falls. When hanging lights up around the outside of a home, Patterson says it's much safer to use a telescoping pole. "So that you don't have to climb all over your house to hang your lights."

Also, every home should have these anyway, but Patterson says this time of year is a good time to get a fire extinguisher and keep it handy - just in case.

Copyright 2012 America Now. All rights reserved.
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