Christmas decoration safety

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around Calcasieu Parish.

Christmas trees, lights, and decorations are just a few of the key ingredients to bring in the holiday season.

But while we see an increase in holiday cheer, dangers also tend to increase during this time of year.

“There’s a number of accidents.”

Accidents that captain of the Lake Charles Fire Prevention Bureau, Jeremy LeBlanc, says are a combination of injuries dealing with falls and fires.

“We see folks who are falling, and they tripped over cords,” he said. “We also see a lot of folks just being careless. If you do buy a real tree, what you want is to keep that tree hydrated.”

Another fire prevention tip? Check your Christmas light wiring and look out for frayed cords and damaged cords.

“We got to remember, this isn’t the late 70s or the early 80s,” he said. “So whenever you put up your Christmas lights on the exterior of your home, please do not put them up with a staple gun. Just go ahead, buy the clips, stick them up there and also keep an eye on what you’re doing.”

And while we might not see many blue roofs anymore, it’s important to be precautious especially with compromised roofs and trees.

“If you’re placing a ladder up against the roof, you want to make sure that your ladder is three feet above the edge of the roof. If something is too steep, don’t risk it,” he said. “Just put your Christmas lights someplace else, there’s a lot of damage to a lot of buildings and homes in this area, and there’s a lot of hidden potential dangers.”

If you have a chimney and start a fire in it, he says not to throw paper in there.

“Light your fire, close the little screen, and let it do its job,” he said. “If you have a chimney get inspected or get it cleaned once a year. Also, once the fire is out inside of a fireplace, wait till the ashes are cold or cool until you remove it.”

And when it comes to candles, LeBlanc says to make sure they are on a flat smooth service and not a wobbly candle stand that can be knocked over.

Copyright 2021 KPLC. All rights reserved.