VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It's that time of year! Holiday lights and ornaments are on display for neighbors, family, and friends to see.
However, it's important not to get caught up in the magic without remembering a few safety tips, especially when it comes to lights, live trees, and other flammable decorations.
AAA Tidewater Virginia gave the following decorating tips:
- Always use non-flammable decorations.
- Place candles in non-flammable containers. Keep lit candles in a place where they can’t be knocked over or reach anything that could ignite.
- Water that tree. Don’t ever let your live tree dry out – it is a fire hazard.
- Check all bulbs and wires. Don’t use any lights with frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.
- Discard and replace any cord that is hot to the touch.
- String lights through hooks or insulated staples, not nails or tacks.
- Use surge protectors to avoid overloading your electrical outlets.
- Make sure outdoor lighting and extension cords are approved for outdoor use.
- Never use electric lights on a metallic tree.
- Unplug lights when you leave home or go to bed.
“This is a very merry time of year and decorating houses and trees is a tradition for many families. Unfortunately, oftentimes safety is not a top priority, which can lead to unnecessary house fires that destroy more than just the spirit of the season,” said Leah Hunger, Director of Insurance for AAA Tidewater Virginia. “No one wants to spend their holidays filing an insurance claim.”
The Virginia Beach Police Department released this breakdown of how to stay safe while out shopping:
RELATED: TSA's top Thanksgiving travel tips
According to AAA, about 84 million Americans plan to purchase a live tree this season. Twenty percent plan to tie the tree to the roof rack, and another 24 percent plan to place the tree in the bed of their pick up truck, unsecured.
Decking the halls usually includes a tree. So, AAA gave the following tips to safely transport a Christmas tree:
- Use the right vehicle. It’s best to transport a Christmas tree on top of a vehicle equipped with a roof rack. However, if you do not have a roof rack, use the bed of a pickup truck, or an SUV, van or minivan that can fit the tree inside with all doors closed.
- Use quality tie downs. Bring strong rope or nylon ratchet straps to secure the tree to your vehicle’s roof rack. Avoid the lightweight twine offered by many tree lots.
- Protect the tree. Have the tree wrapped in netting before loading it.
- Protect your vehicle. Use an old blanket to prevent paint scratches and protect the vehicle finish.
- Point the trunk towards the front. Always place the tree on a roof rack or in a pickup bed with the bottom of the trunk facing the front of the vehicle.
- Tie it down. Secure the tree at its bottom, center, and top. At the bottom, use fixed vehicle tie-down points and loop around the trunk above a lower branch, to prevent any side-to-side or front-to-rear movement. The center and top tie downs should be installed similarly.
- Give it the tug test. Before you leave the lot, give the tree several strong tugs from various directions to make sure it is secured in place and will not blow away.
- Drive slowly and easily. Take the back roads, if possible. Higher speeds create significant airflow that can damage your Christmas tree and challenge even the best tie-down methods.
Flying this December? TSA released their top tips to get every traveler through the end-of-the-year holiday travel.
- Get to the airport early. Plan to arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight out of a major airport.
- Use your time in the checkpoint line wisely. Remember, there is a new security checkpoint protocol that is in place. It requires that you remove all personal electronic devices larger than your cell phone to be placed in a checkpoint bin with nothing above it or below it so that TSA can get a clear X-ray image of these items (i.e.: laptops, tablets, e-readers, cameras). So while you are in line, prepare to remove your large personal electronic devices from your carry-on bags.
- If you are traveling with gifts, please don’t wrap them with wrapping paper and tape. Instead of wrapping a gift, please consider using a gift bag or a gift box so that resolving the alarm will just mean removing the item from the gift bag or gift box without needing to unwrap it. Or, consider wrapping the gift upon your arrival.
- Traveling with food items during the holiday is okay. Christmas cookies, fruitcake, pie or other holiday treats are included in food items travelers can bring when they fly. If the food item is a solid (i.e.: ham, turkey, cake, pie, cookies), then they can pack it in their carry-on bag. If the food item is spreadable or pourable, then it must be 3.4 liquid ounces or less to comply with the 3-1-1 liquids bag rule to travel in your carry-on bag. If it has more than 3.4 liquid ounces, then travelers should pack it in a tightly sealed container in their checked bag. PRO TIP: If you’re unsure if your food item should go in a checked bag, consider this: If you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it, then please pack it in your checked bag.
- Pack smart - don’t bring along any prohibited items. Duh.
TSA said snow globes are popular holiday gifts at this time of year. If someone is traveling with a snow globe, it needs to contain 3.4 liquid ounces or less to comply with the 3-1-1 liquids bag rule. If it is a larger snow globe, TSA asks that it's packed in a checked bag. If someone is unsure if the snow globe contains 3.4 ounces of liquid or more, the rule of thumb is that if it is smaller than a tennis ball, it is probably 3.4 ounces or less.
Lost something at an airport? TSA has a Lost & Found program.