Holiday decorations, like candles, lights and Christmas trees add a joyous and festive mood to the holiday season. But when these decorations aren't used properly, they can cause fires, injuries and even death.

Battalion Chief of the South Trail Fire Dept. John McMahon explains, "When we have the holiday season, obviously people love to decorate, so you do have to be careful. Make sure that you get the proper ladder; proper size ladder. If you don't have a tall enough ladder, you might have to reach too far and you might fall."

In addition to falls, electricity seems to be the culprit in most holiday-decorating-related injuries. Always make sure that everything you purchase is U-L approved. And what about the tree? If you have a live tree, always be sure to keep it well watered throughout the season. Paul Dolan says, "Generally my wife makes sure the tree is watered. It is important to maintain a moist tree so it isn't a fire hazard."

John says "If you're using an artificial tree, make sure that it's a rated tree, make sure that it's a fire resistant tree. You don't want to have anything dangerous."

One thing that you want to keep in mind is that candles and trees are not a good combination so, if you want to keep this happy, safe holiday season, look out for any potential hazard, electrical or otherwise.

Each year, hospital emergency rooms treat more than 12,000 people for falls, cuts, shocks, and burns due to incidents involving faulty holiday lights, dried-out Christmas trees and other holiday decorations.