The Christmas season is one for spending time with family and friends, watching some bowl games and generally enjoying life.

Christmas trees and other decorations set the scene for holiday activities. Unfortunately, those same decorations can cause real problems, perhaps even deadly ones, unless some basic fire prevention strategies are followed.

Start with the tree. A live Christmas tree needs to be watered to prevent it from becoming a fire hazard. So if you have a live tree, give it a drink of water every day. You might have to give it a drink a couple times a day. It might be a hassle to crawl under the tree and pour water into the stand, but doing so will keep your tree moist, safe and looking good throughout the holiday season.

Candles are another staple of holiday decorating. The trouble that a burning candle can cause if it is knocked over or placed too close to something that can catch fire is obvious. For those reasons, candles should never be left unattended. Lighting one and leaving it to go to another room is never a good idea.

Battery powered candles are an alternative that provide the same kind of flickering light with almost no chance of igniting anything.

As the weather keeps getting more wintery, space heaters will be put to use in some homes. Space heaters should be positioned far away from anything that might catch fire. And they should be plugged directly into an electrical outlet. Extension cords should not be used with space heaters.

For more holiday and winter fire prevention advice, contact your local fire department.

Following that advice will ensure that everyone has a safe holiday season.