SAN ANTONIO — With Thanksgiving now less than a week away and a weekend of gorgeous temperatures heading our way, many will be hanging Christmas lights on their home outside.
But be cautious this holiday season because decorating your house can be dangerous if done incorrectly.
Christmas only comes once a year, and you want to make sure you have a safe holiday at home and not spending it badly injured in a hospital bed, or even worse.
Joe Arrington, the San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson said, "We're here. If it's the holidays. It's time to decorate. It's time to get festive in all of our holiday season."
But to be festive, you've got to be safe.
First, avoid trips on the ground and falling off your roof.
Arrington added, "I know it's not always cheap but leave it to the professionals that you know, they've got the proper equipment and that kind of thing. We see a lot of falls, trips, things like that when people are decorating their home."
Secondly, don't decorate alone. Grab a buddy.
"When you're up on your roof, make sure you're not by yourself. Because if you fall off by yourself who knows how long you'll be there till you can get one of us there to help you," Arrington said.
Follow all safety instructions, especially while using a ladder.
Arrington told us, "Use all of the safety things that are printed on the ladder. Don't dismiss those. Make sure it's on a surface, hard surface ground and use that ladder spreader."
Use the right type of lights. Indoor lights, should only be used indoors. Arrington added, "Make sure your lights are not frayed. You know, there's not any loose wires or rubber areas in there. Make sure they're inspected like a UL label on the light."
Don't overload circuits or power strips.
"That's a key thing we always see is, 100 things plugged into one outlet. It's going to overload. It could short and cause a fire," Arrington said.
For more information on holiday decorating safety, including safety tips for Christmas trees and heating your home during the holidays, check out the San Antonio Fire Department FireSafeSA safety page.
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