Though the idea of “hanging the stockings by the chimney with care” sounds festive, it’s actually a big fire hazard.
That’s according to Saint John Fire Division Chief Mark Wilson, who says there a few steps you can take to have a happy and safe holiday.
Wilson advises you to buy fresher Christmas trees, which tend to be more moisture rich unlike dry ones which can ignite faster. For decorations, use ones that are flame retardants and are out of reach of small kids and animals.
A big no-no is using indoor lights outside or vise versa. Outdoor lights are too hot for indoors and indoor lights lack weather proofing connections. Before you use your lights, you should lay them out and check for any cracks in wiring or in the bulbs.
Don’t leave candles unattended and make sure they’re in a study holder.
And the biggest mistake people make? Throwing torn apart Christmas wrapping into the wood stove or fireplace. Wilson says that creates too much heat in a short period of time and results in chimney fires. He says very quickly the temperature can go from 200 degrees to 8 or 900 degrees.
