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Decorations, trees leading causes of home fires in December

WikiMedia Commons

 

Between space heaters, holiday lights and dry Christmas trees, this time of year has more than its fair share of fire hazards.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association nearly a thousand home and structure fires are started annually this time of year by decorations, trees, fireworks, candles and holiday cooking.

Additional fires are started by things like space heaters as people try to stay warm.

Captain Gerard Ellis, with South Bend Fire department, said when it comes to heaters, the safety rules are pretty easy to remember.

“The space heater rule of thumb is, it’s kind of cliche, space heaters need space. And the key thing with space heaters is you wanna try to plug that directly into the wall without using an extension cord.”

Ellis said extension cords should also be avoided with decorations.

Other safety tips include connecting only the recommended number of light strands together, not using indoor only lights outside, and turn off your lights when no one is home.

With holiday cooking Ellis said cooks should stay in the kitchen and ovens should not be used as a heat source.

 

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