Fireproof Your Holiday

SUNDAY, Dec. 19 (HealthDayNews) -- Don''t let the activity and excitement of the holidays make you forget fire safety.

The New York-Presbyterian Hospital offers the following reminders:

• Christmas trees cut early in the season dry out and become fire hazards. Never put a Christmas tree in front of an exit.
• Do not decorate a Christmas tree with candles, even if you never intend to light them.
• Use only Christmas tree lights that have been inspected by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL). Inspect and test your lights each year before you put them on the tree.
• Never leave your Christmas tree lights on when you leave the house. If there''s a short in a wire, you could return home to find your house on fire.
• Don''t place your Christmas tree near a fireplace. If there''s no other place to put the tree, don''t use the fireplace until after the tree has been removed and you''ve cleaned up all the tree''s needles.
• Never leave holiday or religious candles burning unattended.

More information

The U.S. Fire Administration has more about home fire safety.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: New York-Presbyterian Hospital, news release, December 2004