COLUMBIA (WACH) -- Shoppers are heading to the check out lines all over to pick up some last minute holiday spirit, however with all the blinking lights and trees there also needs to be safety.
Eric Eppes along with others at this Columbia Home Depot on Two Notch, knows how to dish out the advice when it comes to making sure your Christmas cheer doesn't turn into a disaster.
Eppes says the most common problems people encounter is when they try to overload their circuits.
"A. lot of people come in and maybe they have an older house, older fuse box, or older fuse system and it doesn't have a ground in it and their overloading their circuits," said Eppes.
Always check wires, extension chords and plugs to make sure they're in good shape, and more importantly keep an eye on what your decorating.
Epps also says almost 50 percent of tree related fires can occur toward new years when they start to dry out.
"You might as well be throwing a match on turpentine that's basically what it is, it burns hot and it burns quick," said Eppes.
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