16 Must-Know Christmas Light Safety Tips (2024)

Is there anything like Christmas lights to get you into the holiday spirit? From the tree to the front porch and fence, Christmas lights make the holiday season merry and bright.

These pretty decorations don't come without risks, though. Falls, electrocution and even fires are very real possibilities. An average of 770 fires are caused by Christmas lights every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

With proper preparation and safety practices, you can avoid those dangerous situations with your holiday decorations. You just need to take a few precautions inside and outside your home.

Here are 16 potential holiday light hazards and safety tips you need to know.

Replace any missing or broken bulbs before you string up your porch or tree because theycould lead to electrocution, fires or injuries.

Most lights come with replacement bulbs, but you can also buy a pack at your local home improvement store for about $3.

If you decide to pull a Clark Griswold and decorate your home's exterior and roof, you'll need a ladder to reach those high-up spots.

The type of ladder you use matters. Metal ladders conduct electricity, which can lead to electrical shocks. The Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends using a wooden or fiberglass ladder when hanging lights to avoid electrical shocks.

While indoor and outdoor lights are similar in appearance and function, you shouldn't use them interchangeably. Indoor lights should only be used indoors and outdoor lights should only be used outside. Here's why.

Indoor lights have been specifically tested to make sure they aren't a fire hazard for tree decorating, while outdoor lights are specifically tested to withstand cold and rainy weather. Outside lights could pose a fire hazard if you string them up on the family tree because they're often hotter, while the indoor lights probably wouldn't survive the snow storm.

To be safe, you can purchase lights that are certified for indoor and outdoor usage. Whether you're using indoor or outdoor, though, the US Fire Administration recommends buying only lights certified by an approved testing facility (more on this next).

No matter the climate where you live, look for the UL seal on the box.

That seal means that the lights meet the national industry standards of theAmerican National Standards Institute.

You shouldn't let your extension cords sit on the ground as shown in the photo. Make sure the junction where your light cord and your extension cord meet stay out of puddles, damp soil, snow or ice because a potentially damaged extension cable could cause injury or death from electrocution, fire, or carbon monoxide poisoning if wet.

You can buy an inexpensive cord protector -- like theTwist and Seal Heavy Duty Cord Protector-- to keep your cords dry and safe. You could also plan your light display so that connections are suspended off the ground instead of sitting in contact with it.

Keep your light strands off the ground, too. Lights and cords on the ground pose a tripping hazard and can easily be broken if stepped on.

If you want to make a cool runway effect down your walkway, use light stakes. You just stick them in the ground and the lights clip to the top of the stake.

You can also useanchoring pinsorground staplesto secure extension cords to the ground on either side of a walkway to prevent tripping hazards. Simply thread the cord through the middle and push the ends of the pin or staple into the dirt. If you have some wire hangers, a pair of pliers and wire cutters lying around, you can make your own staples in a pinch. Just cut 8 inches (20 centimeters) of wire and bend it into a U-shape.

If your lights look like this photo, then you're doing it wrong -- that's way too many plugs in one outlet.

We recommend plugging your lights into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet. These outlets will shut the circuit down if there is too much current flowing through, preventing fires.

If your outlet is a GFCI, it will have a reset and test button in the center. If you don't have one, you can purchase a portable GFCI outlet from your home-improvement store. You could try thiswaterproof in-line GFCIor thisportable GFCI.

Never string up a human or animal with the lights that you plug in, even if it's just for a photo -- they could get an electric shock or burns if the lights are too hot.

Most places that sell Christmas lights also sell strands of battery-powered lights. These don't get hot and won't potentially electrocute the wearer. Plus, they come in fun shapes. We've seen strands shaped like snowflakes, candy canes and gumdrops.

When decorating your vehicle for Christmas parades, make sure to use a power inverter to produce enough power for lights that have a voltage more than 12V.

Most Christmas lights are 110V AC (alternating-current) and your vehicle can typically only power 12V DC (direct current). ThePotek 2,000W Power Inverter Three or theAmpeak 1,200W Power Inverter are good choices.

Also, be sure to firmly secure the lights to your vehicle so that they don't drag on the ground and shatter. Strong magnets that you can buy from craft stores work well. Just be sure not to drag the magnet across your car's finish when pulling it off. Always pull up to avoid scratches.

Don't forget to only use your car holiday lights when it's dry outside, too. 110V AC lights can give you a deadly shock if they get wet.