With only two weeks until Christmas, firefighters across the valley are asking you to keep safety in mind when decorating for the holidays.
One of the biggest threats of sparking a house fire during the holiday season are real Christmas trees. When they get too dry, they can become flammable. Test out your own tree by sliding your fingers across a branch to see if any needles fall off. Always make sure your tree has plenty of water, and is kept away from a fireplace.
"The problem with Christmas trees in the homes is it's probably around a lot of electrical equipment," says Henderson Fire Chief, Shawn White. "Sometimes electrical outlets are overwhelmed because there's too many plugs in the same outlets. That can cause it to short out and spark a fire if you're right next to a flammable tree."
Another threat, are space heaters. They should be plugged directly into the wall, not into an extension cord, and they shouldn't have anything flammable near them.
Candles are another threat during the holiday season. According to the National Fire Protection Association, nearly half of house fires during the holiday season are caused by candles being too close to something flammable.
