With bustling kitchens, candles, and Christmas trees, the holidays are filled with potential fire hazards. Every year, fire departments across the country respond to blazes caused by decorations and lights, many of which could have been prevented with some extra care and the help of a skilled electrician. Below are some do’s and don’ts to keep your family safe this holiday season.

Do:

Turn everything off before going to bed.

A fire in the middle of the night can spread throughout the house before anyone has a chance to wake up. To minimize the risk of electrical problems or malfunctioning lights starting a fire when you’re asleep, turn off all lights, decorations, and appliances before going to bed.

Keep combustibles away from decorations.

A few candles can give your home a warm, cozy glow, but they can easily ignite tablecloths, curtains, and hanging decorations. Keep all flammable items away from open flames, and never leave candles unattended.

Don’t:

Overload your outlets.

During the holidays, it’s easy to overload power outlets with lights, motorized decorations, cell phone chargers, and small appliances. However, this can trip a breaker or, even worse, overload the outlet and start a fire. Always be careful of plugging too many items into a circuit that also feeds the AC, oven, or other major appliances.

Neglect your smoke detectors.

If a fire breaks out, a smoke detector will warn you. Before guests arrive, change the batteries if you haven’t already, or call an electrician to change them out if they’re more than 10 years old.

This holiday season, you need the expertise of a licensed, trained electrician to keep your home and loved ones safe. Since 1947, AA Electric has provided Honolulu, HI, families with peace of mind and reliable, code-compliant electrical repairs. Visit their website for more on their wide range of services, or call (808) 841-4131 to make an appointment with an electrician today.