The worst way to extinguish holiday cheer is with a home fire and to ensure your celebrations remain safe, Glendale Fire Department spokeswoman Ashley Losch shared some pointers.

“In the holidays, we like to have our fires, we like to have our candles, the ambiance is wonderful,” Losch said, “But again, that’s a hazard. So if you have a candle near — say — curtains or anything flammable you want to make sure it is moved away.”

Contrary to popular belief, there are additional sources of fires beyond fireplaces and candles.

“I love a nice new Christmas tree that smells amazing but they do have dangers that come with them,” Losch said.

When it comes to removing the risks for Christmas tree-related fires, she shared two tips.

“Making sure if you have a real tree really monitoring your lights,” she said. “Don’t get the lights that are old and hot, make sure you have a LED light.”

Not only does turning off lights overnight cut down on electricity bill costs, but it also removes the risk of a fire starting.

“Another thing people don’t think about is when you have your Christmas lights on your home,” she said. “You want to make sure you are turning your Christmas lights off before you go to bed because you could have an exterior fire and you may not even know it.” 

An additional problem that is seen more often during the holiday season is choking victims as a result of traditional holiday dishes not being fully chewed.