Christmas Tree Fires And How To Avoid Them: Fire Safety Experts

PLAINFIELD, IL — The fresh scent of pine filling your house may not be worth the price of a cut Christmas tree if you don’t take proper precautions to make sure extension cords and lighting equipment are in good shape, the National Fire Protection Association warns. Christmas tree fires sparked 160 home fires in a recent four-year period, and 44 percent of them were fueled by electrical problems.

"We've had a couple [tree fires]. The one that comes to mind was a Christmas tree that had one of those plunger-type switches on it, where you step on it," Plainfield Fire Chief Stratton said. "It was electrical... a malfunction in the switch."

About 19 million of the 95 million Americans who will decorate Christmas trees this season will cut them down themselves or buy them pre-cut at lots, according to national statistics. That requires extra care to keep the trees from drying out and becoming fuel for a deadly house fire.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted a live Christmas tree burn to demonstrate how quickly Christmas tree fires ignite when needles become brittle do to under-watering.

Trees can become fully engulfed in a matter of seconds, then ignite everything in the path of the flames. In comparison, an electrical fire sparked for the demonstration on a well-watered tree didn’t spread at all.

From 2013 to 2017, the most recent years for which data is available, 160 home fires started with Christmas trees, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

A closer look at the data show that, overall, Christmas tree fires are responsible for an average of three deaths, 15 injuries and more than $10 million in property damage every year.

For perspective, one of every 52 reported home fires that began with a Christmas tree ended with a death. That compares to one death per 135 total reported home fires due to other causes.

Though electrical problems are the source of the majority of Christmas tree fires, the fire protection group also reports that from 2013 to 2017:

• A heat source, whether from a candle or heating equipment, too close to the tree caused 25 percent of home Christmas tree fires;
• One-fifth of Christmas tree fires were intentionally set;
• Three-fourths of Christmas tree fires occurred in December or January;
• Two of every five home Christmas tree fires started in the living room.

Fires resulting from candles are also a big problem. The data show candles were responsible for an average of 22 home fires every day from 2013 to 2017. In 60 percent of the fires, the candle was placed too close to a flammable object, such as furniture, mattresses or bedding, curtains, or holiday decorations.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are the peak times for home fires caused by candles. The fire protection group said 18 percent of December candle fires occurred in the living room and 8 percent started in the dining room, compared to14 percent and 3 percent for those areas during the rest of the year.

Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. Also, according to the data, cooking equipment was involved in one of every five home decoration fires. This can happen when a decoration is left on or too close to a stove or other cooking equipment.

"Keep [the tree] away from open flames, candles and stuff, keep that away from it, especially if it's a real tree," Stratton said, offering safety tips. "Make sure it's always got water in it, use UL (Underwriters Laboratories) approved lighting, UL approved extension cords. Don't plug a lot of stuff into extension cords."