With the busy holiday season full of gift shopping and gatherings, don’t forget about safety — hundreds of fires occur each year from holiday decorations alone. Use this checklist to keep you and your family safe:

Lighting safety:

• Use LED lights, which are more efficient and safer than incandescent bulbs because they produce less heat.
• When hanging holiday lights using a ladder, have a spotter and always maintain three points of contact.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the correct number of light strands to connect.
• Inspect power/extension cords and light strings, and replace anything that’s damaged or frayed.
• Don’t place cords where they can be damaged by walking on them, where people can trip on them or where damage can go unnoticed — like under rugs, through windows or on the sidewalk.
• Don’t overload outlets or power strips, and don’t plug electric heaters into power strips.
• Plug outdoor lights (rated for outdoor use) into ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected outlets.
• Instead of candles, use LED flameless candles to reduce the risk of fire.

Other reminders:

• Test your fire alarms and carbon-monoxide detectors and ensure any fire extinguishers have not expired. Also, make sure you know how to use them!
• Use appliances with the Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) label. The UL seal ensures the product has been tested.
• If you have a real Christmas tree, water it daily and keep it at least three feet away from heat sources (like fireplaces).

Maria Willacy
Communications Specialist
mwillacy@idahopower.com
208-388-5978