According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, on average, there are about 160 Christmas decorating-related injuries each day during the holiday season, with nearly half of the incidents involving falls.
The commission said 14,900 people were treated in hospital emergency departments last year due to holiday decorating-related injuries.
KSBY spoke with a local fire official on how to maintain your Christmas tree so decorating mishaps don’t ruin your holiday.
San Luis Obispo Fire Battalion Chief John MacDonald says 20% of fires related to Christmas trees are due to electrical problems with the lights.
“Historically," said MacDonald. "We do have fires that are caused by decorations in people's homes and Christmas trees catching on fire because of shorts."
MacDonald recommends people use a surge protector in case of any problems with their holiday lights.
“Make sure that you use a surge protector between the lights and the power in the wall,” MacDonald said. “That way, if there is some type of problem with the lights, you have a shorter something than that surge protector will protect the stop the electricity and turn off the lights for you.”
SLO Ranch Market & Farms is selling Christmas trees and they recommend keeping your tree hydrated during the season.
“Remember that a tree can take up to a gallon of water a day, so keeping your tree hydrated is the number one key to maintaining it throughout the holiday season,” said Haddie Townsend, SLO Ranch Farms event coordinator. “You also want to make sure for safety reasons to keep your tree away from here or a furnace, and when you're leaving home, unplug your lights.”
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is providing holiday decorating safety tips this season.
The commission says many artificial trees are fire-resistant. If you plan on buying one, look for a statement specifying this protection.
They also stated never to string together more than three sets of incandescent lights and MacDonald suggests dusting off your tree.
“Clean out the tree itself before you bring it into your home and then as you put the lights around the tree,” said MacDonald. “You want to make sure that on the end of the lights where it plugs into the wall, there is a fuze."
