Winter holidays are a time for families and friends to get together in a festive and relaxed atmosphere. But winter decorations can also spell fire danger. In fact, 23,600 residential fires are caused by candles annually, resulting in injury, death and millions of dollars of property damage, according to the Federal Emergency Management Association.

“Decorating safely is the key to protecting your home and loved ones during the holidays,” says Chris Barnes, president of Candle Warmers, Etc. “Choose products designed with safety in mind.”

Holiday safety steps to prevent home fires:
• Test your smoke alarms and talk to your children about fire prevention and what to do in the event of a fire.

• Never leave a candle unattended, and keep burning candles away from items that can catch fire. Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.

• Instead of an open flame, use candle warming plates, lamps and lanterns. For example, the Aurora candle warmer lamp quickly heats the top of a wicked or wickless jar candle to release the candle`s fragrance. And a decorative candle warming lantern provides ambiance without dangerous flames.

• Choose holiday decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant. Check strings of lights each year, replacing those that have frayed wiring and loose bulb connections.

• Before you go to sleep, make sure your fireplace fire is out completely, candles are blown out, and strings of lights and decorations are turned off.

• Have your chimneys inspected annually and cleaned if need be.