By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

The holidays brings with it several fire hazards, from food preparation all the way to decorations, and Pontiac Fire Chief Scott Runyon wants to give safety tips to help eliminate those hazards from your festivities.

One big one he says is using extension cords correctly, because incorrect use can easily cause fires.

“Do not overload them. Incandescent lights, you probably are going to max out about three strands of lights per plug, where you start popping fuses. Be very careful. Extension cords can get very hot. If you take three strands and plug into the one port on the extension cord and then you do the same thing with the next one and next, you’re probably going to start a fire because that cord’s not going to be able to handle it. It will over heat and arc and all kinds of good stuff and pop fuses and if you have a really old house with really high amp fuses, it might not kick and start a fire,” Runyon said.

Runyon was a guest on a recent community forum where he covers the complete spectrum of holiday fire safety. That can be found in the podcast section at WJEZ.com.