How to Stay Safe This Christmas

Dec. 22, 2006 — -- Last weekend in Stockton, Calif., a Christmas tree went up in flames and took the whole house with it. The tree was dry and the Christmas lights were left on overnight.

That horrific scenario is just one of many that can happen this holiday season. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day are the three most common days for home fires.

To find out the dangers lurking in decked out homes, ABC News' Nancy Cordes checked out decorations with Don Mays, Consumer Reports magazine's senior director for product safety.

Be Careful with Trees and Lights

Mays first laid out precautions that you should take with trees and lights.

"A dry tree is a dangerous tree," Mays said. "A little known fact is that Christmas lights are only good for about 90 days. So we recommend at Consumer Reports that you throw out your lights after three seasons of use, and get new ones."

Consumer Reports warns against stringing more than three strands of lights together, which can overload the wiring. They also say to watch out for counterfeit lights. While they're the same price as legit lights, they are far more prone to melting and catching on fire. Make sure to check for the Underwriters Laboratory ("UL") safety sticker, not just on the box but on a silver hologram tag on the cord itself.

Mays said people should safeguard trees by keeping them well-watered, throwing them out when the needles start to fall, and positioning them at least five feet away from the fireplace.

Beware of Candles, Fireplaces

However, candle fires are far more common than tree fires at this time of year. Those decorative candle rings that look so pretty can be a hazard.

"These rings are oftentimes very flammable," Mays said. "Not only this type here but you also see the ribbon on this type of candle. Once the candle burns down, they can catch on fire."

To stay safe, trim the wick to a quarter-inch before lighting a new candle. Uncut wicks could break off and ignite the table. Most importantly, never leave candles unattended or within reach of kids or pets.

"A wagging tail of a dog for example can knock a candle over, set the table on fire, or set something else on fire in the house," Mays said.

While a roaring fire may be cozy at Christmas, Mays said to make sure the chimney is clean and a fireplace screen is in place.

While newspaper may be great for getting that fire going, used wrapping paper is a no-no. Not only does it burn very hot and very fast, burning wrapping paper can also release toxins into the air.

And when it comes to stockings and chimneys, follow the old verse's words carefully.

"These stockings were not hung by the chimney with care," Mays said as he inspected the stockings in one home. "They need to be moved well away so that if flames lick out of the firebox, you won't set something like this on fire."