The arrival of the holiday season means it's time to put up festive decorations, but without proper precautions, they can prove dangerous. Officials say that a third of fatal house fires happen in December and January.

Fire officials say one mistake many people make is overloading electrical sockets.

A Hightstown family found this out the hard way two years ago when a fire broke out in their home a few days before Christmas. They were forced to evacuate in less than two minutes and one family member suffered third-degree burns.

Fire officials also offer other safety tips when it comes to holiday decorations.

" Don't use indoor holiday lights outdoors

" Throw away holiday lights with frayed wires or broken sockets

" Keep extension cords away from wet areas

" Turn off holiday lights before going to bed or leaving the house

" Only buy products marked with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) safety approval

" Make sure smoke detectors are working and have fresh batteries