Master Electricians Australia has warned home owners to check the safety of their Christmas lights installations, following a spate of electrical fires in recent days.

At least two of the fires, in Brisbane and Adelaide, are believed to have been caused by festive light displays, while faulty electrical fittings have contributed to other fires.

MEA Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Richards said a house fire was tragic at any time of year, but there was a heightened risk of fire at Christmas time.

“Christmas lights displays bring so much happiness to families and to neighbourhoods, but as well as being festive they also need to be safe,” Mr Richards said.

“Already this summer we’ve seen a number of tragedies where families have lost their homes. Enough is enough – we don’t want to see lives lost as well.”

Master Electricians Australia has produced a safety checklist to help Australians ensure their Christmas displays are as safe as possible.

“This is a Christmas list that every Aussie home owner should be checking twice,” Mr Richards said.

The safety checklist includes:

• Ensuring lights and other appliance have an Australian approval number
• Having safety switches on all circuits in your home
• Only using designated outdoor electrical products outside the home
• Not using double adapters on power boards
• Having working smoke detectors
• Checking appliances and cables for damage before using them

“If you go to the effort of decorating your house for Christmas, please go to the extra effort of a a quick internet check to ensure you and your family are as safe as possible.”

The full, free safety checklist is available here.

Malcolm Richards is available for interview.
Please phone The SAS Group on 07 3221 9222 or 0467 792 013.