Careful With Christmas Lights

CEBU, Philippines – At least five homes in Cansujong, Talisay City have a different Christmas this year. They are victims of a recent fire that hit the area recently. Ironically, the accident has been traced to the effort of one of the victim families to cheer up the holiday season.

Authorities say that the use of inferior-quality Christmas lights was the cause of the accident. The series lights reportedly heated up and went aflame after some time of use. This is alarming since the use of Christmas lights is really widespread these past days.

There are three things to bear in mind about Christmas lights, to prevent these beautiful flickers from bursting into flames.

1. Place lights away from curtains and other materials that easily catches fire. Keep it at some distance from thin paper decorations and other items that may pick up fire.

2. Do not leave the lights on overnight. Overheating is one of the causes of electric lights catching fire. An hour or two of Christmas lights every night is enough to project the holiday spirit. Better yet, put the lights on only when the family has time to watch the lights display. Turn it off when everyone's attention turns to something else and, most importantly, upon retiring for the night.

3. Avoid using octopus electrical connections. This is the most common cause of fires from electrical connections. With octopus connections, it is difficult to keep track of the wattage of the various things in the connection, which the capacity of the main wire may not be enough to support. The wire often heats up and a fire ensues.

It is easy to get carried away by artistry in decorating the home with Christmas lights. But even the most beautifully lighted home is nothing when fire turns it to ashes. Proper care is always in order.