Happy Holiday Season ReadyPhiladelphia Friends! Can you believe it’s already here? I can’t but here are some holiday fire safety tips I do believe in! This season, take a few minutes to review these fire safety tips so you and your loved ones can stay safe while celebrating the holidays. Holiday lights help make this season magical, but they can pose a serious fire risk if left unattended or not properly installed. Don’t overload electrical outlets with multiple plugs or extension cords and make sure your electrical cords for lights are not frayed or knotted. Replace any string of lights that may have worn or broken cords. A good rule of thumb is to not string more than three strands of lights together. A quick tip is to read the manufacturer’s instructions to learn about the maximum number of light strands you can safely connect together. As always keep those candles 12 inches away from anything that can burn and never leave candles unattended while they’re lit. Better yet, opt to use battery-operated, flameless candles instead of traditional wax candles. If you do use traditional candles make sure to blow them out before going to bed for the night. Don’t forget to turn off those electric decorations before bed too!   It’s important to remember fire safety in the kitchen too especially when there’s a lot of activity and people at home for the holidays. Unattended cooking is the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths. Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top so you can keep an eye on the food. Keep children at least 3 feet away from the hot stove. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so no one can bump them. Move things that can burn, like dish towels, away from the stove.   Lastly, make sure that your smoke alarms are working. Here in Philadelphia, you cn contact Philly311 if you need new smoke alarms, and the Philadelphia Fire Department will come install them for free! For more fire safety tips and for a festive and safe holiday season, visit the blog we wrote with the Fire Department.   Have a safe and Happy Holiday Season!   Allison Miller Communications Coordinator   Office of Emergency Management  Stay Alert! Get Alerts!