A fire call by the Brussels-Union-Gardner (BUG) Fire Department on Tuesday was another good reminder to ensure you are not overloading the electrical outlets in your home. BUG Fire Chief Curt Vandertie says his department was dispatched late Tuesday afternoon to 1157 Brussels Road, where a homeowner reported a burning smell after plugging his Christmas tree into an outlet that caused a spark. Vandertie says the homeowner took the right course of action by turning off the main power supply to the house and calling 911. He notes that the affected outlet was an older two-prong outlet.

Vandertie recommends that you contact a licensed electrician to make sure your electrical supply is up-to-date by a licensed electrician and that it can handle the number of cords plugged into the outlets throughout your home.