As we continue to celebrate the holidays, many of us may have a live evergreen in our homes that has been decorated with ornaments.

Jefferson Fire Chief Jack Williams tells Raccoon Valley Radio some safety tips to prevent a live tree from catching fire inside a home.

“Especially with live trees make sure you don’t have any heat sources anywhere near them with candles, heat lamps we’ve seen before. And then make sure you’re not overpowering the power strips, the plug-in strips. It may have ten plug in spots but that does not mean the electrical cords are rated in the walls to take all that power draw.”   

Williams also advises having smoke detectors inside any residence as another fire safety measure. He recommends having a smoke detector in a basement, if you have a basement, along with stairwells, near the furnace and kitchen areas.