Community Corner

Tips for Safe Decorating this Holiday Season

Amica Insurance wants you to stay on Santa's nice list.

Christmas trees, candles and other holiday decorations make the season bright, but they can also be fire hazards.

Fires involving trees or candles cause some 130 deaths per year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, resulting in $375 million in property damage annually.

Amica Insurance shares the following tips from the CPSC to help prevent holiday fires: 

Find out what's happening in Kennesawwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • When choosing a tree, find one that’s fresh. Fresh trees have needles that are hard to remove from branches and don’t break when bent between two fingers.
  • Position the tree away from heat sources like fireplaces and radiators. To keep the tree from drying out and becoming a fire risk, water it frequently.
  • Examine all lights for cracks, frayed wires or loose connections. Throw away any damaged lights, and never put electric lights on metallic trees.
  • Use candles sparingly, and never leave them unattended. When leaving the room or house, even for a short time, extinguish all candles.
  • Put candles on heat-resistant surfaces that can’t be reached by children or pets. Also, keep candles far away from trees, other decorations and curtains, which can all ignite and burn easily.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Kennesaw