Christmastime truly is a beautiful holiday. Homes are decorated from top to bottom in garland, ribbons and twinkling lights. And the centerpiece of it all — the Christmas tree.

As beautiful as holiday decorations are, they can create quite a dangerous hazard if not properly installed.

The Ironton Fire Department shared some important safety tips for residents to keep in mind to make sure everyone’s holiday is joyous and safe:

Carefully inspect all your decorations to make sure they are safe.

Never use any electrical items that have brittle or damaged insulation, chafed or frayed wires, worn switches or corroded metal parts.

Do not tamper with safety devices. Electrical devices have fuses, three-prong plugs and plugs that have one blade wider than the other for a reason. It is to keep you and your property safe. If the plugs won’t fit together, that means they are not designed to work together. Always be safe. It is better to replace a few stings than to replace a home.

Live Christmas trees need to be as fresh as possible. Make sure they are not dry and needles are tight. Keep them well watered and away from any heat source or open flame. An average tree should take up about half a gallon of water per day for the first week. Turn lights off on tree when not home.

Gifts and wrapping paper should also be kept away from heat sources and open flames as the paper is highly flammable.

Thanks to the Ironton Fire Department for providing these tips and we hope everyone will be sure to follow them.