Well we had our first Christmas light fire the other day. Reports from the fire Marshall was that the home owner had stated that the string of lights were 3 years old and they had left them on over night . The fire Marshall reported that the lights were not rated for outside use and had shorted out. He also noted that the power source was not a breaker outdoor type plug. Have a great day and a safe Holiday. "Be Safe"
•Use caution with holiday decorations and, whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant and non-combustible materials.
•Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees.
•Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings, and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. If you have any questions about electrical safety. Do not overload extension cords.
•Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insulation. To hold lights in place, string them through hooks or insulated staples--don't use nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove them.
•Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations.
•Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
•Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
•Make sure all the bulbs work and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.
•Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground-fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.
•Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
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