TILTONSVILLE, Ohio -- Tiltonsville Fire Chief Doug Dougan is offering several fire safety recommendations that will help keep families safe during the holiday and cold weather seasons.

Use the right lights for the right environment. Indoor light sets lack weatherproof connections. Many outdoor light sets burn too hot for indoor use.

Inspect light sets before use. Check for cracked bulbs, broken or exposed wires and discard if faulty.

Turn off tree and decorative lights before going to bed or leaving the house.

"We've had incidents where people have lighting and the lights have actually shorted on the tree," said Dougan.

Dougan also said to make sure you check that and that your lights are sufficient enough to put on trees at this time.

"Never burn gift-wrappings, boxes, cartons, or other types of packing materials in fireplaces," said Dougan.

Dougan also added that you should make sure smoke alarms and fire extinguishers placed near the Christmas tree are in good working order.