With finals running until Dec. 23, many students will be preparing for the holidays on campus this season.

Jon Beers, residential services manager of Madison Gas and Electric, said students should follow some guidelines when decorating their residence hall rooms or apartments with holiday lights this season.

“You always want to check the cords for worn or frayed spots and make sure everything looks like it’s in good shape,” Beers said. “Don’t run extension cords under carpets.”

Beers said holiday lights should not be left on all night. Lights can be put on a timer for those who might forget to turn the lights off, he added.

Students do not need to worry about a costly electricity bill due to holiday lighting and decorations. According to Beers, a strand of 100 mini-bulbs would only cost an additional $1.80 on an electricity bill if left on 10 hours a day for 45 days.

According to Lori Wirth-Hammer, Madison Fire Department Public Informations Officer, the fire department is not only concerned about fire safety over holiday lights and Christmas trees, but also about candles.

“People use a lot more candles during the holidays, but all year round we are seeing a huge increase in the number of candle fires,” Wirth-Hammer said. “The number of fires from unattended candles has tripled in the past three years.”

In the past 20 years, 43 students have died in Greek housing and residential hall fires nationwide, and an additional 51 students have died in off-campus fires since 2000, according to a city of Madison Fire Department release. Each year, there are on average 1,500 fires in Greek housing and residential halls, causing more than $9 million dollars in damage, according to the press release.

Wirth-Hammer said on Halloween night there was a bedroom fire in a four-story Dayton Street building caused by an unattended candle, leading to $30,000 in damage. Many candle fires occur because candles are not placed in appropriate holders and are tipped over easily or fall over while unattended.

“We have had 12 candle fires this year so far and we are not even to Christmas yet so obviously it is something that has become a real concern,” Wirth-Hammer added.

University of Wisconsin senior Lucy Chao, said with busy schedules, it is easy for a student to forget to blow out a candle before they go to bed.

“We light candles in our apartment all the time, and I’m sure we’ve left them unattended before,” Chao said. “It could potentially be dangerous.”

Wirth-Hammer said Christmas trees are another fire safety hazard over the holidays. Real Christmas trees need watering, she added, because they can dry out over the season and increase the chance of a fire.

“There are so many variables when it comes to fires around the holiday seasons,” Wirth-Hammer said. “Stoves are on for long periods of time and partying and drinking can contribute to dangerous situations.”

In a party situation, a cigarette butt or a candle can get left behind and smolder overnight while people sleep, Wirth-Hammer added. Before going to bed, Wirth-Hammer said she recommends looking around and making sure there are no cigarette butts, lit candles or plugged-in strings of lights.

“We just [want] to make sure everyone pays attention so they can have a safe holiday,” Wirth-Hammer said.