DeKALB | The countdown has begun.

The holiday season is fast approaching and a holiday decorating frenzy has swept the nation. While it’s easy to get caught up in all the thrill and excitement that accompanies this festive time of year, it’s important to keep safety first and foremost.

Alan Hoskin, manager of the National Safety Council’s statistics department, said data collected from the year 2004 demonstrates a need for increased public awareness in this area. During this time, artificial trees accounted for 1,700 injuries treated in hospital emergency departments, Christmas tree lights for 4,000, non-electric decorations for 6,200 and electric Christmas decorations excluding lights for 1,700.

“While there has naturally been some fluctuation in these numbers from 2004 to present times, they really don’t vary much from year to year,” Hoskin said. “They’re pretty much all in the same neighborhood.”

Hoskin also pointed out that National Fire Protection Association records show Christmas tree fires account for about 350 to 400 of the fires that occur each year in the United States.

Tree seekers have options if they are looking to cut down their own tree.

“We’re a ‘choose and cut’ operation,” said Bob Faivre, owner of Camelot Christmas Tree Farm. “The pros of buying a tree from a place like ours is you know it’s going to be fresh. Since there is plenty of moisture contained in the stump and branches, greater needle retention can also be expected.”

Faivre said the trouble with many pre-cut trees is that, since many of them come from up north and are cut as early as October, problems with moisture levels often arise. A dry Christmas tree presents owners with a much higher risk for fire hazard.

“We’ve been very fortunate in this city,” said Scott Love, assistant chief of the DeKalb Fire Department. “There have been no serious incidents to report involving problems of this nature.”

Love said there are a number of safety measures residents should take when decorating their homes. These include ensuring that any lighting used is UL-approved and hung and installed with safety in mind, exercising care when using ladders to hang outside decorations, and avoiding open-flamed candles around potential fire hazards.

“Something people should keep in mind in regard to trees is to keep them watered,” Love said. “Trees have a tendency to be neglected after Christmas is over and dry out very quickly. These should be removed from the house.”

Jessica Fink is a City Reporter for the Northern Star.