As residents celebrate the holiday season with an assortment of indoor and exterior decorations, a local fire chief reminds everyone of safety precautions to make sure everyone has a safe, enjoyable season.

Riverside Fire Chief Chad Smothers says that when decorating the outside of your home or business with lights, you should make sure that there are no cuts in the lights or extension cords that expose wiring to water and snow. For those decorating a live tree this year, Smothers warns that if not properly taken care of, the tree could become a big fire hazard, “If you’re going to use a real Christmas tree, make sure you’re watering that thing daily so that it doesn’t dry out. Obviously when it dries out, that poses more of a fire hazard there. If something close to it or something catches fire near it, that thing is going to go up really quickly.”

All decorations and furniture should be a safe distance away from any heating source. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, one-third of all Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems and one in every five tree fires are caused from a heat source that was too close to the tree. For more safety information, visit here.