Ensure A Happy Holiday Season With Safety Tips From MySafe:LA!

HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — 'Tis the season to be jolly! But in order to make sure your holiday season is a happy one, MySafe: LA is offering Angelenos tips to prevent tragedy this December.

An estimated 240 home fires involving Christmas trees, and another 150 home fires involving holiday and decorative lighting, occur each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

An easy way to protect your family: working smoke detectors.

"If you have one of these that works in your home, you have an 82 percent chance of surviving a fire," David Barrett of MySafe: LA said.

As of Jan. 1, 2013, state law also mandates that all homes and apartments have carbon monoxide alarms installed.

Officials also recommend having fire extinguishers in the kitchen in case of a grease fire.

"Never dump water into a grease fire," Cameron Barrett of MySafe:LA said.

Barrett recommends denying oxygen to the blaze with a cookie sheet and using baking soda to douse the flames.

Additional Holiday Safety Tips:

-Water, water, water! Never let your Christmas tree dry out

-Place the tree away from any heat sources

-Use only lights approved for trees

-Do not overload electrical outlets

-Use nonflammable decorations

-Establish a family escape plan

-Poinsettias, as well as the berries in holly and mistletoe, are poisonous to cats and dogs

-Hide all cords from cats to prevent chewing on live wires

-Tree tinsel can be fatal if ingested by pets

For more safety tips, log on to MySafe:LA.