Holiday decoration safety: keeping your home safe when stringing up lights

DELMARVA. – Have you started putting your Christmas lights up on your house?

If so, the Easton Volunteer fire department wants you to be mindful when stringing up those bright lights.

Chief Sonny Jones said an excessive number of lights can lead to a short circuit and a possible fire.

He added knowing your home’s electrical limits, and avoiding plugging too many lights into extension cords, can make a difference.

“One of the things that people need to be aware of is the hazards involved when you have too many electrical cords,” Chief Jones said.

“Too many strands of lights plugged in you can overload your outlets. Your home outlets are designed to output a certain amount of electricity, and when you overload the outlets– in other words, when you draw too much electricity than what the outlet is designed for– it can heat up the outlet and eventually cause a fire,” Chief Jones added.