Christmas lights safety: tree, cords and outdoor outlets

Holiday lights, the tree and extension cords add electrical load and flammable materials to the house, often near baseboard heaters. The Government of Quebec publishes simple rules for decorating safely. Here they are, along with what calls for an electrician.

Before you buy: the certification seal

In Quebec, every electrical accessory sold must be approved or certified by an accredited body, such as CSA or ULC. The seal is printed on or attached to the product or its packaging. According to Québec.ca (in French), an uncertified product may not meet Canadian standards, may be of lower quality and can start a fire if it fails. It is worth checking for lights and extension cords bought online.

1. The tree

• An artificial tree is less likely to catch fire than a natural one.
• For a natural tree, choose a freshly cut one whose needles stay on when handled. Cut the trunk at an angle, stand it in water and water it every day.
• Place it more than one metre from any heat source: baseboard heater, space heater, fireplace.
• Unplug the lights as soon as the tree starts to dry out.

2. Decorative lights

• Choose lights certified by a recognized body such as CSA or ULC, and low-heat bulbs such as LEDs.
• Inspect them before installing and throw out any that are defective, dried out or cracked. A replacement bulb must have the same voltage as the original.
• Don’t use indoor lights outdoors, or outdoor lights indoors.
• Plug every outdoor item into an outlet with a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
• Never overload the electrical system.
• Use a timer, or unplug the lights when you go out and when you go to bed.
• After the season, bring outdoor lights inside: they are not made to last, and heat and weather can damage the insulation and cause arcing if they stay up all year (electrical safety tips, in French).

3. Extension cords

• Choose a cord approved by a recognized body (CSA, ULC), made for outdoor use if it will be used outside.
• Avoid cords so long that they must be coiled: they can overheat and cause arcing. Unroll the cord completely.
• Don’t overload outlets or cords; use a power strip instead, kept for low-power devices.
• Don’t hide cords under a rug or leave them in a doorway, where a closing door can damage the insulation.
• One extension cord at a time: don’t connect them end to end.
• Don’t hang a cord on a hook or a nail, and never paint it: paint dries out the insulation.
• To unplug, pull on the plug, not the cord. Replace any cord that is damaged or gives off heat.

4. Your tree in Montréal: SIM tips and the January pickup

Montréal’s fire department adds a few steps in its holiday safety tips (in French): cut about one centimetre off the base of a natural tree before putting it in water, keep the water level up at all times, set it away from heat sources, turn off indoor and outdoor lights before bed or when you go out, and keep candles out of reach of children and pets. After the holidays, it suggests storing the tree outside in the shade until the pickup.

To get rid of it, the City’s page on Christmas tree collection (in French, updated December 2, 2025) says to remove every decoration, not to put the tree in a plastic bag, and to leave it at the edge of the sidewalk, not buried in snow or blocking the way. Artificial trees are refused; collected trees are turned into wood chips. The dates for your address appear in Info-collectes shortly before Christmas, and the ecocentre is still an option after the pickup. Other towns in Greater Montréal set their own schedule, so check your municipality’s.

5. Before you switch on

Test your smoke alarms and keep an extinguisher handy: see our guide on smoke alarms. If you use a space heater in the room with the tree, see also the rules for space heaters.

When to call an electrician

Extension cords are for temporary use. According to Québec.ca, if you need outlets permanently, have more installed by a master electrician. Outdoor outlets must have a built-in breaker and a protective cover, and be weatherproof. Also call an electrician if:

• you have no protected outdoor outlet where you decorate every year;
• a breaker trips or a fuse blows for no apparent reason, even after you reduce the number of devices on the circuit;
• the electrical panel feels abnormally warm, or you notice an unusual smell.

An outdoor outlet is installed by an electrical contractor (RBQ subclass 16); their licence number can be checked before the appointment. Before the season, electricians are available in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Chambly and Saint-Léonard; for a GFCI outlet on the balcony or the front of the house, request a quote online.