Christmas and fairy lights are often used by residents to spreading the municipality, sparking a reminder from firefighters to take proper precautions to avoid starting a fire.
Country Fire Authority and Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) are encouraging Victorians to check all festive lights before switching them on.
CFA Deputy Chief Officer Garry Cook said electrical fires are among the top causes of house fires each year.
“These can easily be avoided by following some simple steps to make sure it’s only the big man in red that visits this Christmas, not a big red fire truck,” he said.
“Before putting up your Christmas lights, check that the lights are in good working order and have no missing bulbs or frayed cords.
“Don’t overload power boards, and make sure that electrical cords are not covered by a rug or mat.
“Never place lights too close to tinsel or flammable decorations, and make sure you turn your Christmas lights off when leaving the house or before going to bed to ensure they don’t overheat.”
In addition to ensuring Christmas lights are safe, Mr Cook urged all Victorians to take care with candles this festive season and make sure that they can’t be knocked over by people or pets and that they are not too close to flammable items such as curtains.
“It’s also extremely important to always keep matches, candles and lighters away from infants and small children,” he said.
Additional Christmas lights safety tips:
• When buying Christmas lights, make sure they have the Regulatory Compliance Mark tick of approval.
• Consider using battery-operated LED or solar lights which don’t require electricity.
• When decorating the outside of your home, only choose lights and fittings designed for external use.
• Make sure you have a safety switch in your meter box or have a qualified electrician install one.
• Place your tree as far as possible from any heat source, curtains or furnishings.
• Maintain water in the base of natural Christmas trees to stop them drying out and remove lights once they show signs of drying.
• Make sure you have working smoke alarms in all bedrooms, living areas and hallways. Ideally, smoke alarms are interconnected, which means if a fire in one room sets off one smoke alarm, all alarms will activate.
