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.  Here are some tips to follow for a safe holiday season.  Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory, and make sure you know whether they are designed for indoor or outdoor use.  Replace strings of lights with worn or broken cords, or loose bulb connections.  Connect no more than three strands of mini-string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.   Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.  Read the manufacturer’s instructions for the number of L.E.D. strands safe to connect.  Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and to make them last longer.  Also, December is the peak month for home candle fires, with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day representing two of the top five days for associated fires.  More than half of all candle fires start when they are placed too close to combustible household items, such as curtains, lamp shades, other fabrics and holiday decorations.  For more information about fire safety and prevention, visit www.sfm.illinois.gov.