December's Safety Topic - Holiday Safety Tips
Festive celebrations, flickering lights and winter greens are hallmarks of the holiday season, but they also present fire risks that can quickly turn this festive time of year into a devastating one. Carefully decorating your home can help make your holidays safer. Between 2017-2021, US fire departments responded to an average of 150 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. US fire departments responded to an estimated average of 793 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees – These fires caused an annual average of 4 civilian fire deaths, 33 civilian fire injuries and $14 million in direct property damage.
Are you going to have a real Christmas tree this year? This two minute video shows why it is so important to be sure and keep your tree watered: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26A-49Wb2F4&t=14s
Winter Holiday Fire Facts
- Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in more than two in five home Christmas tree fires.
- Nearly one in five Christmas tree fires were started by lamps or bulbs. Eight percent were started by candles.
- Roughly two of every five home Christmas tree fires started in the living room.
- Candle fires peak in December and January with 11 percent of candle fires in each of these months.
- Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
- Year round, one-third (33%) of home decoration fires were started by candles. This jumped to almost half in December when candles started 46% of such fires. Cooking started one-fifth (19%) of decoration fires.
Please take a few minutes to review the attached holiday safety tips, and have a happy and safe holiday season!