GENESEE CO. -- Christmas lights dancing on a winter night, candles glowing in the living room, families cuddled up by the fireplace. They all are wonderful experiences during the holiday season, but they can also be dangerous fire hazards.
Thursday morning, Flint Firefighter Rico Phillips joined the NBC25 Morning Team to explain some simple ways for families to keep their homes protected against fires, especially during the holiday seasons.
The first simple step is to ensure that your home’s smoke detector has a new battery and is functioning.
Secondly, be sure to turn Christmas lights off and blow out all candles when you are not in the room. Christmas lights can be particularly dangerous when on real trees due to the dryness of the branches.
When a Christmas tree catches fire, it only takes about 30 seconds for the flames to ignite an entire room. So it is vital to follow the safety steps to ensure you have a safe holiday season.
For more tips and a video on what can happen if lights are left on, watch the video above.
