Crime & Safety

Make Your Christmas Tree Light Up the House, Not Burn It Down

The centerpiece of your holiday decorations should be both beautiful and safe.

For many Manassas-area families, this was the weekend to bring home the perfect Christmas tree and complete their home holiday decorations.

The Manassas Fire and Rescue Department has several tips for keeping the holidays cheery and free from fires, damage and injuries.

  • Don’t leave live Christmas trees up for more than two weeks.
  • Keep trees away from heat sources such as fireplaces, candles and heating and air vents. Firefighters say direct heat dries out trees; this makes them more flammable, increasing the chance of a fire.
  • Live trees should be kept in water the entire time they are standing to keep them hydrated and looking fresh.
  • Make sure Christmas trees and other large decorations do not block exits. Doing so may make fleeing difficult in case of an emergency.
  • Only use nonflammable decorations, avoid flame candles and go for electric candles. There are several electric products that feel and smell like an actual candle.
  • Don’t link more than three light strands, unless the product label or directions say it's OK to do so.
  • Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet.

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