Christmas Tree Fire Safety
Selecting Christmas Trees:
Needles should be green and hard to pull back from the branches
Trunk should be sticky to the touch
Bounce the tree trunk on the ground if lots of needles fall off it’s dried out
Caring:
Do not place your tree close to a heat source including a fireplace or heat vent
Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks
Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
Disposing of tree:
Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove
Dispose of your tree by taking to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a
community pick-up service.
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/holiday-seasonal/holiday.shtm
Statistics:
U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated annual average of 240 home fires that
began with Christmas trees. These fires caused:
13 civilian fire deaths
27 civilian fire injuries
$16.7 million in direct property damage
Electrical problems were factors in 33% of home Christmas tree fires
A heat source being too close to the tree were factors in 20% of these fires
Candles started 11% of home Christmas tree fires
http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/pdf/christmastrees_sum.pdf
Holiday Lights
Maintain lights by inspecting them each year for:
frayed wires
bare spots
gaps in the insulation
broken or cracked sockets
excessive kinking or wear before putting them up
Do not link more than 3 light strands together
Wires should never be warm to the touch
Do not leave holiday lights on unattended
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/holiday-seasonal/holiday.shtm
Statistics:
Holiday lights were involved in an average of 150 home fires per year, resulting in an
average of:
8 civilian deaths
14 civilian injuries
$8.5 million in direct property damage
Electrical problems caused 73% of these fires
Flammable objects too close to the lights caused 15% of the fires
http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/pdf/christmastrees_sum.pdf
