News Release > Keep your holiday season jolly with a few decorative lighting safety tips

Keep your holiday season jolly with a few decorative lighting safety tips

12/08/2023

NEW ORLEANS – Decorating your home with festive lights is a great way to celebrate the holiday season. Whether you’re a pro or a novice when it comes to putting up decorations, it’s important to understand the risks of hanging lights.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Christmas lights alarmingly cause 40% of Christmas tree fires. NFPA also reports that each year, U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 790 home structure fires caused by seasonal decorations. Without proper preparation and installation, a fun, holiday activity can turn tragic. Keep your holiday season jolly and free of injuries by following these safety tips from Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans.

Inside lighting:

• If your family plans to rock around a live Christmas tree this holiday season, make sure it is fresh with needles that are hard to pull from the branches.
• Place the tree in a stand with water away from heaters or the fireplace. Be sure to check on the water daily.
• Examine all lights before putting them on the tree or using them for other holiday displays. Do not use lights with frayed wiring or loose sockets, and make sure they have been tested for safety by an independent testing laboratory.
• Save energy and money on your bill by using smaller, cool-burning LED lights.
• Make sure all light sockets have bulbs in them and keep bulbs from touching tree branches.
• Never burn candles on or near the tree and never use flammable decorations.
• Never use lights on a metallic tree. If the lights become faulty, the entire tree could be electrified.
• Be careful not to overload extension cords, outlets or even whole circuits in the house.
• Turn off decorative lighting when you leave the room.
• Place wires where they cannot trip anyone, and do not run wires under rugs.

Outside lighting:

• Make sure the lights used are designated for outdoor use.
• Use a non-conducting fiberglass or wooden ladder when working with strings of lights. Also, stay clear of all overhead wires.
• Do not replace bulbs when the electricity is on.
• Never let light bulbs touch flammable materials such as plastic or dry grass and leaves.
• For outside use, work only with three-wire grounded extension cords.
• Use rubber gaskets in light sockets or hang sockets downward to keep water out.
• Keep connections and lights off the ground by hanging them over wooden stakes. Turn outside holiday lights off when away from home or asleep.

For more tips on how to practice lighting and decoration safety during the holiday season, visit the National Fire Protection Association website.

About Entergy Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to more than 94,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

About Entergy New Orleans

Entergy New Orleans, LLC is an electric and gas utility that serves Louisiana’s Orleans Parish. The company provides electricity to more than 209,000 customers and natural gas to more than 110,000 customers.

Both companies are subsidiaries of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 company that powers life for 3 million customers through operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees.