Winter/Holiday Safety

The winter holidays are a time for celebration, and that means more cooking, home decorating, entertaining, and an increased risk of fire due to heating equipment.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Each year there are approximately 240 Christmas tree fires in U.S. homes, resulting in 23 deaths, 12 injuries and $11.4 million in direct property damage.
• Each year, an average 310 home fires start when Christmas trees ignite. These fires cause an estimated annual average of 14 civilian deaths, 40 civilian injuries and $15.7 million in direct property damage.
• Each year, an estimated 18,000 home fires started by candles are reported to public fire departments. These fires result in an estimated 190 civilian deaths, 1,450 civilian injuries and an estimated direct property loss of $265 million.
• Fourteen percent of the candle fires occurred in December. This is almost twice the 8% monthly average.
• Each year, candles cause an estimated annual average of 16,300 home structure fires. These fires result in 140 civilian injuries and $289 million in direct property damage.
• In 11% of the December candle fires, the fires began when a decoration caught fire. This was true in only 3% of the fires during the rest of the year. (Source: NFPA’s One-Stop Data Shop)

SAFETY TIPS

Holiday decorating & lighting

• Use caution with holiday decorations and whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible materials.
• Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees.
• Purchase only lights and electrical decorations bearing the name of an independent testing lab, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and maintenance.
• Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. Do not overload extension cords.
• Always unplug lights before replacing light bulbs or fuses.
• Don’t mount lights in any way that can damage the cord’s wire insulation (i.e., using clips, not nails.
• Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations.
• Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving the house or going to bed.

Holiday entertaining

• Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. When cooking for holiday visitors, remember to keep an eye on the range.
• Provide plenty of large, deep ashtrays and check them frequently. Cigarette butts can smolder in the trash and cause a fire, so completely douse cigarette butts with water before discarding.
• After a party, always check on, between and under upholstery and cushions and inside trash cans for cigarette butts that may be smoldering.
• Keep matches and lighters up high, out of sight and reach of children (preferably in a locked cabinet). When smokers visit your home, ask them to keep their smoking materials with them so young children do not touch them.
• Test your smoke alarms, and let guests know what your fire escape plan is. NFPA does not test, label or approve any products.

CHRISTMAS TREE FIRES – FACTS AND FIGURES

• Christmas trees were the items first ignited in an estimated average of 310 reported U.S home structure fires per year in 1999-2002. These fires caused an average of 14 civilian deaths, 40 civilian injuries, and $16.2 million in direct property damage per year. These statistics include both real and artificial trees.
• On average, one in every 22 reported home Christmas tree fires resulted in a death.
• More than four of every ten home Christmas tree fires are caused by an electrical problem or malfunction. One in four (24%) home Christmas tree fires resulted from a heat source placed too close to the tree. Seven percent were started by children playing with fire.
• When equipment was involved in the ignition of the fire, Lamps, Bulbs or Lighting (18%), and Cords or Plugs (13%) were cited more often than any other type of equipment. No equipment was involved in 44% of these fires.
• Each year, candles are the heat source in 8% of the home Christmas tree fires.
• Sixty-one percent of the home Christmas tree fires were reported in December, 22% were reported in January. Not surprisingly, the number of these fires spikes during the week of December 22-28.
• These statistics are based on fires that started with Christmas trees and do not include fires starting with other products. A small fire that spreads to a Christmas tree can very quickly become large. (Source: NFPA’s One-Stop Data Shop)

CHRISTMAS TREE SAFETY TIPS

• When decorating Christmas trees, always use safe tree lights. (Some lights are designed only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.) Larger tree lights should also have some type of reflector rather than a bare bulb and all lights should be listed by a testing laboratory.
• Never use electric lights on a metal tree.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use tree lights. Any string of lights with worn, frayed or broken cords or loose bulb connections should not be used.
• Check your strands of lights to determine the number of strands that may be connected. Connect no more than three strands of push-in bulbs and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.
• Always unplug Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.
• Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and extend their life.
• Never use lit candles to decorate a tree, and place them well away from tree branches.
• Try to keep live trees as moist as possible by giving them plenty of water daily. Do not purchase a tree that is dry or dropping needles.
• When purchasing a live or cut tree, check for fresh, green needles.
• Choose a sturdy tree stand designed not to tip over.
• When purchasing an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled as fire-retardant.
• Children are fascinated with Christmas trees. Keep a watchful eye on them when around the tree and do not let them play with the wiring or lights.
• Store matches and lighters up high, out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet.
• Make sure the tree is at least three feet (one meter) away from any heat source, such as fireplaces and radiators. Try to position the tree near an outlet so that cords are not running long distances. Do not place the tree where it may block exits.
• Safely dispose of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are highly flammable and should not be left in a house or garage, or placed against the house.
• NFPA does not test, label or approve any products.

For more information on holiday fire safety, please contact Fire Prevention at 512 930-8453 or 512 930-2542.