New lights could save more than money this holiday season
Once Thanksgiving is behind us, the Christmas trees start going up in houses and apartments across the country.
But those trees can be dangerous.
They’re the number one cause of house fires this time of the year. There are ways that you can prevent your holiday from turning into tragedy.
You wouldn’t think of the Christmas Tree in your living room as a danger. In fact, most people never have a problem.
“No I really haven’t. Other than fuses going out all the time,” said Frank Reiff of Colorado Springs.
But that’s not the case for everyone.
“I have definitely seen Christmas tree fires and they are really scary,” said Jane Rook from the Colorado Springs Fire Department.
When those trees catch fire, that fire spreads fast.
Rook said, “then it starts to ignite all those other combustable materials that we have in our homes.”
Most of the time, it’s the Christmas lights that are the problem. So what can you do to avoid those problems?
“If they’re kinked or some lights are out that might mean that there’s a faulty connection,” said Zook.
That means that it’s time for a new set. If you’re shopping for a new set, LED lights are the way to go.
“It’s the new technology, it’s now catching on,” said Gary Sprott from ACE Hardware.
They take less power, so you’ll save on energy costs. And you won’t have to buy them as often.
“With less sucking the power will make those fuses last a lot longer,” said Sprott.
The Colorado Springs Fire Department has another piece of advice for you if plan to leave town.
“If you leave a light on when you go on vacation, it should be a light that’s obviously not at all near a heat source, (and) it should be on a timer,” said Zook.
That way no matter where you go to find your holiday cheer, you won’t have any problems when you get home.
Zook also says that many of the fires that are caused by Christmas trees occur after the holiday when people forget to water the trees and they dry out.
