Use common sense to stay safe this holiday season

Once you get your Black Friday shopping done, you'll need somewhere to put the presents.

It's a happy time of year, but not if that Christmas tree and those outdoor lights happen to start a fire.

Year after year, we hear just such tragic stories.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, from 2007 through 2011, U.S. fire departments responded to about 230 home structure fires a year that began with Christmas trees. They caused an average of six civilian deaths, 22 civilian injuries and $18.3 million in property damage each year.

Christmas tree fires are three times more likely to result in a death than other types of home structure fires, and more of them occur after the holiday than before.

While electrical failures or malfunctions were involved in about a third of the home structure fires, one in six occurred because a heat source was too close to the tree, lights getting too much voltage were involved in 12 percent and seven percent were started by candles.

Twenty percent of home Christmas tree structure fires were intentionally set, half of them within the 20 days after Christmas.

Natural trees are more prone to catch fire than artificial ones, but are less likely to if they are kept moist.

The U.S. Product Safety Commission has a few tips:

* Use only lights that have been tested for safety by an independent testing lab. Check each set for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires or loose connections. Discard or repair before using them.

* Fasten outdoor lights securely to protect from wind damage. Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per extension cord. Turn them off when you go to bed or leave home.

* Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. They can become charged with electricity and electrocute anyone touching them. Use a colored spotlight above or beside a tree instead of fastened to it.

* If using a real tree, make sure it is green, needles are still firmly attached and don't drop when the trunk is bounced against the ground. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin.

* Place the tree away from fireplaces and heat sources, and cut off a couple of inches of trunk to expose fresh wood for better water absorbtion from a sturdy, water-holding stand.

* Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens, use non-flammable holders, keep them away from decorations and wrapping paper and place candles where the cannot be knocked down or blown over.

* When making paper decorations, look for materials labeled non-combustible or flame-resistant. Avoid smoking near flammable decorations.

* Make an emergency plan to use if a fire breaks out and see that each family member knows that to do. Use a little family time this holiday to practice the plan.

Above all, use common sense when it comes to safety around the home this holiday season.