Quick Links
Summary
Yes, Christmas lights can be a fire hazard.
People talk about how Christmas lights are a fire hazard.
After all, who doesn’t like a bit of brightness and cheer in the dark depths of winter?
That doesn’t mean it’s possible for you to’t enjoy Christmas lights, though.
Obviously millions of people do every year without their houses burning down.
Let’s take a look at how to stay safe this holiday and every following one too.
It’s not just a classic Christmas comedy, it’s a crash course in holiday lighting safety.
Go watch the holiday classicNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
(Don’t feel like blowing the dust off your Bluray player?
No worries, it’sfree on HBO Maxand available for a fee on other services likeAmazon Prime Video.)
Warner Bros.
It’s not just a classic Christmas comedy, it’s a crash course in holiday lighting safety.
You want to light up the neighborhood like Clark without the blow fuses and fire risk?
Inspect every strand of lights and electric holiday decoration closely.
Warner Bros.
A dozen different extension cords are plugged into a single dual-outlet receptacle by a meandering array of outlet extenders.
Again, we are baffled his house didn’t burn down.
The amount of energy and heat difference between traditional and LED lights is staggering.
Warner Bros.
Related:How Much Money Does Upgrading to LED Christmas Lights Save?
If you love big flashy C9-style bulbs, it’s an even bigger savings and safety benefit.
In Christmas Vacation, Clark proclaims that there are 25,000 bulbs on his home.
This strand includes not only 100 warm white bulbs but built-in clips to help you string the strand indoors or out.
If his proclamation is to be believed, that’s 175,000 watts of power.
No wonder the power plant managers had to switch to auxiliary power in the film.
I love myGovee smart floodlights, they’re great for Christmas and holidays all year long.
Warner Bros.
But using cheap extension cords and using extension cords improperly is a great way to start a fire.
Some very basic extension cord rules apply to Christmas lights and everything else you might use extension cords for.
If you follow them, you’ll be so much safer for it.
Forget the spaghetti nest of cord plugs laying in the snow, you can use this handy stake-in power station to keep your plugs out of the slush and put the whole show on a timer.
Because putting a thinner wire in the middle of the setup creates electrical resistance.
These little clips make it easy to line the edge of your roof with lights without damaging your shingles.
Stick to using dedicated Christmas lightshingle hooks,gutter clips, ornail-in hangersto secure your lights.
Warner Bros.
Putting them all away for the season?
So we totally understand how year after year, decorations end up wadded up and tangled in a box.
Forget stuffing your poor lights into a plastic shopping bag or battered shipping box.
These little clips make it easy to line the edge of your roof with lights without damaging your shingles.
These spools let you wind them carefully and store them without damage.
Warner Bros.
Forget stuffing your poor lights into a plastic shopping bag or battered shipping box. These spools let you wind them carefully and store them without damage.
