Nearly half of holiday decoration fires happen because decorations are placed too close to a heat source.



It’s fun to decorate for the winter holidays, but holiday decorations can increase your risk for a home fire. As you deck the halls this season, be fire smart.

  • Inspect holiday lights each year before you put them up. Throw away light strands with frayed or pinched wires.
  • Water your Christmas tree every day. A dry tree is dangerous because it can catch on fire easily.
  • Consider using battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles.
  • If you do use lit candles, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be knocked down easily.

Water your Christmas tree every day.
 
A dry tree is dangerous because it can catch on fire easily. The following video shows the ignition propensity of a properly maintained Christmas tree compared to that of a dry tree.

Did you know?​
  • Thanksgiving is the peak day for home  cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, the day before Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve
  • More than 1/3 of home decoration fires are started by candles
  • December is the peak month for home candle fires
  • More than 1 in every 5 Christmas tree fires were caused by a heat source too close to the tree
  • Ten percent of firework fires occur during the period of December 30 through January 3, with the peak on New Year's Day

(​​Source: NFPA)

Infographics & Coloring Pages

  1. Halloween Coloring Sheet
  2. Winter Holiday Fires
  3. Hidden Holiday
  4. Holiday Coloring Train
  5. Skating Sparky
  6. Winter Holiday Fire Safety
  7. Candle Safety Tips