The holiday season is coming to a close and fire safety is an especially important factor at this time of the year. Problems with Christmas trees, candles, faulty wiring, overloaded circuits, holiday lights, and more contribute to excessive fires this time of year.

From December 24th through to December 26th - fire deaths increase 50%, injuries from fires are up 61%, and dollar loss from fires is up 43% on average.

• Christmas trees were the items first ignited in an estimated average of 300 reported U.S. home structure fires per year in 2000-2004. These fires caused an average of 14 civilian deaths, 21 civilian injuries, and $16.8 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 electrical problems or malfunctions. One in four (24%) home Christmas tree fires resulted from a heat source placed too close to the tree. Six percent were started by children playing with fire.
  
• Holiday lights (or other decorative lighting with live voltage) were involved in 16% of the home Christmas tree structure fires. Fixed or portable space heaters were involved in 6% of these incidents. No equipment was involved in 47% of these fires.
  
• Candles were the heat source in 12% of the home Christmas tree fires per year between 2000 and 2004.
  
• Two-thirds of the home Christmas tree fires were reported in December, 20% were reported in January.
  
• During the same five-year period, 80 outside or unclassified fires began with Christmas trees, on average, per year. Two-thirds of these fires were intentionally set. Fifty-four percent of the outside and unclassified home Christmas tree fires occurred in January.

Keep in mind that if you have a Christmas tree in your home (and about 1 in 3 do right now) that it is drying out and becoming a fire hazard. As the temperature drops outside, the heat goes up and it will keep drying out your tree (which one fire official likened to having a "bomb" in the middle of your home.) Be careful with cooking fires during this time, as well. Monitor fires in the fireplace, candles, and stovetops.

If you're leaving your house, turn off lights and blow out candles. And... if you'd like to be worry free, you could consider installing fire sprinklers in your home or office! It's a great way to protect your assets, your health, and your family or co-workers. To get matched to a local Sprinkler Installation Company, post your project with Construction Deal. It's a fast, free, and easy way to find fire suppression and sprinklers experts.

Be ready for next years holiday season by installing fire sprinklers. Don't become another holiday statistic...

To find a local Fire Sprinkler Installation Contractor - post your project today. We'll match you up with local professionals. It's free and there's no obligation.

* nfpa research and reports

Labels: Fire Statistics, Holiday Fires