Before the holidays get here, I would like to remind everyone to test their smoke alarms at home and also at work if you have any responsibility for that.
I have already seen that there have been several fires in my area where people have lost their homes. There are always a lot of fires this time of year when things are dry, and many are caused from decorations people put up for the Christmas holidays. Sometimes too many lights overload the electric circuit. Another danger with outside lights is that sometimes squirrels get on your roof and chew on the wires. And really old lights can get frayed from being unwrapped, hung up, taken down and wrapped again.
Chimney fires are also very dangerous and totally preventable if you just have your chimney checked and serviced regularly by a chimney sweep. If you use the fireplace more than 3 or 4 times each winter, you should have the chimney checked annually. if you burn soft woods like pine or burn those paper logs in your fireplace, you will have more creosote build up in your chimney than if you burn just hardwoods like seasoned oak. An honest chimney sweep will tell you if it needs cleaning or can wait a season, and it does not have to be expensive.
So, be very careful and make sure everything, from the holiday lights to your chimney, is in working order. Make sure your fire extinguishers are good as well. Remember that it is better to be safe then sorry.