During the winter holiday season, over a hundred and fifty thousand fires that claim over six hundred lives occur, and the many injuries and nearly hundred million dollars in damage that occur from fires at Christmas time make it one of the most costly times of year for homeowners and insurance companies.

The spike in fires at this time of year is from higher usage of candles and electrical decorations in homes across the country, and Christmas lights are a source of house fires that cause more than you may think as data from the National Fire Protection Association shows they cause over seven hundred each year but there are some things you can do to help avoid becoming part of the growing statistics.

Can Christmas Lights Cause Fires?

While rare and unlikely, fires can indeed be started by Christmas lights which often occurs when an electrical fault takes place, and for those curious, indoor and outdoor lights carry the same risks and neither is safer than the other, so use the same precautions no matter where you put up your lights.

Electrical fires and faults are the leading, number-one cause of the breakout when Christmas lights or electrical decorations are used, and to better understand how this occurs, we need to first take a look at how electrical fires and mishaps occur in the first place so you can take proper, precautionary steps.

Simply put, electrical fires take place when a short in a circuit occurs as the short or faulty wiring may cause electrical currents to create and omit high levels of pulsing heat as it travels thru wiring; it is this event that gives fires ideal conditions to spark or spread, especially in small, residential homes.

As any fire prevention expert will say, the best way to stop lights from causing and sparking a fire is to closely check and inspect the wiring and circuit that will power the lights before they are ever plugged in, this is always essential to do but even more so when using lights that are months or even years old.

As you inspect the wires on your Christmas lights do so intently and look for signs of melting or breakage in the wire casing, if either is seen, toss and throw away the lights and get new ones to replace it to be on the safe side as like the old adage says, it is much better to prevent a fire then to have to put one out.

Do Not Forget About Extension Cords

This festive, winter holiday season is a fun and joyful time of year full of family, laughter, and tons of lights and decorations but the fun and good time can be swiftly spoiled if proper fire-prevention steps and measures are not followed, and one thing to inspect for faults or defects are your extension cords.

Extension cords are very convenient and make lighting up your yard or home easy to do but one little mishap or oversight can lead to dire results and consequences that are better prevented than battled.

Have security and peace of mind during this joyous season and stay mindful of the following tips below:

• Use an extension cord suited for the task at hand, you can use a two-wired version for indoor lights and decorations but a three-wired cord is best for outdoor lights given their Ground line that makes fires and electrical issues less prone and likely to occur.
• Ensure the cord is suitable and compatible with the outlet sockets in your home, and it should be known without saying you should never force or falter an incompatible cord into an outlet as this is a huge fire hazard that will raise the odds of one bursting out.
• Do not overload the extension cord and ensure it can support the power and wattage you will pull from it, you also want to avoid running multiple cords off a single extension cord as this too can lead to a fire or electrical issue.
• Check the load or supported wattage of the cord to see if it can handle the number of lights you expect it to power as if you plug in and demand too much from it, it can overheat and spawn a fire, so carefully read and peruse its instructions, and strictly adhere to the wattage it supports.

Preventing Fires at Christmas Time

Enjoy the joyous season the way it was meant to be and inspect your lights, cords, and home wiring to ensure no faults or melt spots are present. Stay mindful of all these tips to negate the chance of a fire and to have the peace of mind you need to enjoy your time with friends or family.

Anthony

Writing about politics and finances.