Have you got your holiday decorations up yet?  The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal reminds residents to use caution as certain holiday lights and other decorations with line voltage can be directly linked to fires.  In an effort to prevent fire incidents, old holiday decorations and extension cords should be checked and tested before use.  In Illinois, a total of 3,548 fires were reported during the month of December of 2012.  Out of those fires, 12 of them were associated with Christmas trees, holiday decorations, and other type of recreational materials, resulting in $85,227 in property losses.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, on average, electrical failures and malfunctions are found in nearly 30 percent of home Christmas tree structure fires.  Close to half of the cases occur during the month of December.  Another 18 percent of fires are linked to some type of heat source too close to the Christmas tree.  Other incidents point at decorative lights plugged to line voltages.   It is important to remind the public that natural trees carry a higher risk of fire compared to artificial ones.  On Monday, we’ll go over safety tips for holiday decorations.  For more information about fire safety and prevention, visit www.sfm.illinois.gov.