Safety tips before decking the halls

The day after thanksgiving -- many of us launch right into the next holiday -- pulling out christmas decorations to deck the halls.

But with that fun -- comes certain risks.

New at 5 -- action news now reporter carmela carcher shows us how to protect your home as you deck it out.

Nora hunter: "of course we are excited for christmas."

Picking up a tree and hanging lights are just two of the ways to prepare for christmas.

But&it is still november.

Why the rush?

Nora hunter/decorating early: "excited children.

The magic of the holidays.

I feel like kind of in this covid time, we have new rules of when we can get excited about things.

Probably like& would've waited a little longer but let' do it.

Christmas."

Carmela karcher: "christmas is a month away and while it's nice to have your decorations up early, there are some precautions you should take before setting up your tree."

Wes metroka/chico fire battalion chief: "the holiday season is a fun time of year but it is also one that brings some unique hazards for fire for us.

I think the big three for us are christmas trees, candles/ fireplace, and then electrical."

According to wes&he urges people who have christmas trees to keep them hydrated&water daily&and avoid close contact with heat sources.

For candles& place them in a safe spot where they won't easily fall and don't leave them burning for too long.

And for christmas lights&inspect the cords and unplug them when they are not in use.

Since fires are more common during the holidays&i asked wes what general suggestions he would give to those celebrating the holiday.

Wes metroka: "just be careful where you put things.

Floor heaters need to be away from combustibles.

Packages and christmas gifts& people have a lot of those stacked around so keep them away from the fireplace, from the portable wall or floor heaters.

And then just overall good housekeeping this time of year is really important to make sure you don't have a fire in the house."

In chico& carmela karcher&action news now& coverage you can count on.

With the onset of cold weather and use of heaters&chico fire also suggests to double check your smoke and co2 detectors and make sure they are operational.