The Camden Fire Department wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season, as lights and decorations are set up for another season of festivities. This has been a long standing tradition for many homes and businesses; however, the decorations that make the holiday season so joyful can actually increase the chance for fires. It is estimated that approximately 240 home fires are linked to Christmas trees and another 140 home fires caused by poorly-used decorative lighting.

Those combined events account for approximately 21 deaths and and $25.2 million in direct property damage, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

We would like to offer some simple tips to help keep you and your family safe.

When you think of Christmas morning, the thought of presents underneath the fully lit and decorated tree come to mind. Many fires during the holidays are caused by natural tree fires. Make sure to keep your tree well-watered and away from heat sources or open flames.

Inspect your lights for signs of wear on the cord and plugs. Often, shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires.

When selecting a tree find one that has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to touch.

Check the needles. They should not break when bent and are hard to pull from the branches.

Keep in mind not to leave the tree set up for a prolonged period of time. Two weeks is a good rule of thumb.

Finally, make sure the tree is disposed of properly by taking it to your local recycling center.

Decorations and lights also need to be considered. Make sure to maintain all holiday lights. Inspect them every year for signs of wear, broken bulbs, broken sockets and gaps in the cord insulation. It is an unsafe practice to overload electrical outlets and no more than three strands of lights should be linked together unless indicated by the directions.

Try and plug lights into an extension cord before connecting to an outlet.

Cords should never feel warm to the touch and should be unplugged before leaving the building.

When using candles for decoration make sure candles are in a secure holder. Keep at least 12 inches from flammable objects and avoid using them in bedrooms or sleeping areas.

Other holiday decorations also need to be considered. Use nonflammable or flame-retardant decorations and keep them away from heat sources.

Never place wrapping paper in the fireplace. It could throw off large sparks or embers that can result in a chimney fire.

Finally, make sure decorations do not block any exit points in the home.

And, remember: In the event of a fire being able to quickly leave the building with family members is must.

Cheyne Hansen is a firefighter with the Camden Fire Department.