Prevent fire, damage with holiday decorating safety tips

If you're planning on decorating for the holidays now, whether indoors or outdoors, then ABC-7 has expert safety tips to avoid fires, damages or injuries you need to know.

If you have an artificial tree, make sure it's in good conditions and you look at the manual to make sure you're not leaving it on for too long -- it can catch on fire if they produce too much heat. 

With a real tree, make sure it gets watered so it doesn't dry out and catch on fire since it can burn really fast.

If you're unsure whether or not it's time to turn off your christmas tree, the El Paso Fire Marshal's office shares a tip.

"A good rule of thumb is you could always go and kind of touch the wire that's running through the extension through the Christmas lights," said Fire Captain Carlos Ornelas. If you feel that it's too hot, maybe it's time to cut down on the time of usage."

Also, check your extension cords and power strips, and make sure if you're using one for outside lights, that's it's rated for outdoor use.

Not every extension cord works the same, and make sure it's the correct gauge.

If you're using the oven for cooking, make sure to clean out all the grease as it can be flammable, and if you plan on using your fireplace, Ornelas shares another tip.

"One of the most common risks is the improper cleaning," he says. "Just be aware that anytime you use the fireplace and use wood, it releases soot and that still kind of gets stuck to the lining of the tubing that goes outside."

Make sure that you clean the soot and open the dampers on your fireplace.