While cooking remains the number one cause of residential fires in Gwinnett County and throughout much of the state, residents should also use caution when decorating for Christmas, a fire official said.
Gwinnett Fire Department Public Information Officer Captain Tommy Rutledge said his department does see an increase in fires related to electrical issues over the holidays.
Rutledge said when choosing decorations, people should select the fire resistant variety. He said residents should also avoid connecting too many light strings together and refrain from plugging too many lights into one outlet.
"Certainly things like surge protectors help, but again, we don't want to overload those things. A drop cord should be plugged directly into the wall and should not be plugged into a multi-use adaptor," Rutledge added.
As an alternative, he recommended new devices on the market that project lights onto homes from a fixed point in the yard.
And while he doesn't recommend candle use, Rutledge said common sense should prevail by avoiding their use on trees or wreaths.
While artificial Christmas trees continue to improve in appearance, many people favor live trees. Rutledge said keeping water in those tree bases is critical.
"The tree is going to need water because it's either going to be in the same room where there might be a fireplace that's producing heat, or a space heater that's in that same room but hopefully not close to that Christmas tree or just the regular heating unit in the home as it comes on and off."
Rutledge said live tree selection is also important. When choosing one, he said it should have a sappy touch and be free from brown spots. When tapping the tree trunk on the ground, Rutledge said a minimal amount of needles should fall off.
