It's not often that you see a safety story, especially a positive one, on a gossip blog. But this week, there was Keri Russell, television (Felicity) and film (Waitress) actress, on GossipGirls.com talking about holiday fire safety with representatives from New York's bravest—the FDNY. Russell's appearance was in partnership with the Underwriters Laboratories holiday safety campaign, "Just look for UL," which teaches consumers to look for the UL mark that certifies electric products for fire safety.

"I'm so pleased to be working with UL to help spread the word not just about holiday safety, but safety in general," said Russell, whose son, River, is a toddler.  "As a parent, keeping my son safe and protected is important to me."

Just as folks are beginning to deck their halls and trees, Russell reminded revelers to look for the holographic UL Mark on light strings and electrical decorations. UL certifies lights for indoor or outdoor use. Light strings intended for indoor-only use have green holographic UL Marks, while those intended for both indoor and outdoor use have red holographic UL Marks. Lights without the mark may be counterfeit or pose a fire hazard.

Last year, we wrote about the warning labels on holiday string lights that say they contain lead.  Lead is often used as a thermal stabilizer in the PVC insulation for electrical wire and cable. It helps keep the string lights flexible in a wide range of temperatures. But Consumer Reports tests found that the lead in the wire’s insulation can rub off on your hands. Some labels may also advise washing your hands after handling. We agree that that's a good practice.

We also recommend that you:

• Check last season's lights carefully and discard them if wires are frayed, cracked, or otherwise damaged, or if they have loose connections or broken sockets.
• Keep small bulbs and fuses away from young children as they can pose a serious choking hazard.
• Replace all broken or missing bulbs.
• Don't plug more than three standard-sized sets of lights into a single extension cord; it puts too much of an electrical load on the cord.
• Discard light sets that have been used for more than three seasons.

Lights and ladders
Hauling out the ladder and hanging lights can be a tedious and surprisingly hazardous ritual. Ladder-related injuries account for about 150 deaths and send some 180,000 people to the emergency room each year, many serious enough to require hospitalization. The hazards associated with conventional ladders are as old as the holidays themselves, and our tests show that for the most part, ladder designs have done little over the years to reduce the risks.

Tree trimming
If your household is one of the more than 33 million American homes that feature a natural tree in its festivities, follow the U.S. Fire Administration's suggestion: Keep the tree watered. Last holiday season there were about 200 residential Christmas tree fires, caused primarily by faulty lights and resulting in 10 deaths and more than $10 million in property loss, according to the CPSC. If you keep your tree well watered, chances of a damaging fire are reduced. Dry and neglected trees can cause a real threat as this dramatic video from the USFA shows.

If you're buying an artificial tree, the CPSC says to look for the “Fire Resistant” label. “Although this label does not mean the tree won’t catch fire, it does indicate the tree is more resistant to burning,” says the CPSC. Whether the tree is real or artificial, be sure to place it away from fireplaces, radiators, and candles. And unplug the lights when you go to bed or leave home.

Candle safety
Candles are another cause of house fires—about 14,000 are started each year by misplaced or mishandled candles, causing 170 deaths and $350 million in property loss, says the CPSC. The highest number of candle fires are reported on Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year's Day and New Year's Eve, according to the National Fire Protection Association. And with the majority of house fires occurring overnight from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. it is vital to turn off lighting decorations and blow out candles before falling asleep.

To learn more about candle safety, take our quiz.

We may sound like the Grinch in our annual safety cautions, but in fact we love the holidays. We just want to help families be especially alert to the most important ways to ensure a safe, peaceful New Year. And we'd like to pass along this gift from the CPSC: a printable brochure of more holiday safety tips.