City of Manassas, VA . . . It is time to deck the halls, but make sure your decorations are safe and fireresistant this holiday season. The City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department offer a few simple fire safety tips,which can keep electric lights, candles and the ever-popular Christmas treefrom creating a tragedy.
· Don’t put your live Christmas tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks.
· Place trees away from heat sources, including fireplaces or heat vents. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks.
· Keep live tree stands filled with water at all times.
· Use only nonflammable decorations.
· Don’t link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it’s safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet.
· Avoid using lit candles; consider using battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles.
· Ensure that Christmas trees and other holiday decorations don’t block an exit way.
If a fire does start in your home, call 9-1-1 immediately. For more tips on how to prevent a holiday fire and what to do in case a fire starts in your home, visit the U.S. Fire Administration’s website at www.usfa.fema.gov<http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIxMjAzLjEyOTAzMzQxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEyMTIwMy4xMjkwMzM0MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3Mjk2MzQzJmVtYWlsaWQ9YmJvd21hbkBtYW5hc3Nhc3ZhLmdvdiZ1c2VyaWQ9YmJvd21hbkBtYW5hc3Nhc3ZhLmdvdiZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&101&&&http://www.usfa.fema.gov>
