Making Spirits Bright and Safe– When decorating for the holidays, keep safety in mind

Once Thanksgiving is in the rear-view mirror, for many families the décor for the rest of the year is all about holly, wreaths, trees and lights. It is easy to get wrapped up in the holiday spirit when transforming your home into a winter wonderland, but be sure not to let safety go by the wayside. Keep these holiday decoration safety tips top of mind: Christmas tree fires account for hundreds of fires annually, and one in three is caused by electrical problems. December is also the peak month for home candle fires. If you have a Christmas tree, be sure it’s in a container that holds water, and water it every day. If you put up lights outside your home, be sure the lights used are designated for outdoor use. Use a nonconducting fiberglass or wooden ladder when working with strings of lights, and 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 outdoor light sockets or hang sockets downward to keep water out. Keep connections and lights off the ground by hanging them over wooden stakes. Turn inside and outside holiday lights off when away from home or asleep. Enjoy some down time with the family this holiday season, but be sure to take a little extra effort to keep yourself and your loved ones safe by reducing risk where you can. Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 450,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and approximately 13,500 employees.