How To Prevent Christmas Tree Fires, From Picking It To Tossing It Out

ACROSS AMERICA — Millions of Americans will be celebrating around a real Christmas tree this holiday season, but a fire could bring an abrupt halt to the joy an evergreen brings.

With proper selection, frequent watering and care in decorating, Christmas tree fires can easily be avoided, according to the federal government’s National Fire Research Laboratory. But without care throughout the season, tragedy can quickly ensue.

Although fires involving live Christmas trees are rare, occurring about 210 times a year on average, the human toll can be great, according to the fire research lab. An average of about six people a year are killed as a result of Christmas tree fires; sometimes, entire families perish.

Last year, for example, 12 members of the same family died in a Christmas tree fire at a Philadelphia row home duplex in what was one of the deadliest residential fires in history. A 2021 fire in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that authorities said was likely caused by faulty Christmas tree lights killed a father and two of his sons. In 1990, a father and six of his nine children in Canton, Michigan, were killed when their Christmas tree fell and caught fire.

Between 25 million and 30 million live Christmas trees are sold every year, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. For those who choose a real tree, preventing the tree from becoming fuel for a deadly house fire starts with selection — and it ends with taking down the tree after Christmas, or whenever it dries out.

Of the 10 days with the largest share of Christmas tree fires, none were before Christmas, according to National Fire Protection Association research. (When you do toss the tree, check with your local government about recycling options.)

If the tree goes up in flames, it can become lethal in seconds, as shown in the video below of a live Christmas tree burn from the National Fire Protection Association.

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

Whether chopping down a tree or picking up one from a pre-cut lot, follow these Christmas tree safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association:

• Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that don't fall off when touched.
• Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 2 inches from the base of the trunk to help the tree draw up water.
• Check the water level in the stand daily; make sure it’s well-watered from the moment you put up the tree.
• Make sure the tree is at least 3 feet away from any heat source, including space heaters, candles, fireplaces, heat vents and lights.
• Make sure the tree doesn’t block an exit.
• Decorative lights should have the label of a recognized testing laboratory; make sure bulbs, strings and connections are not broken or damaged.
• Always turn off the tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.
• Never use candles to decorate the tree.

Artificial trees aren’t completely safe. If you have a fake tree, don’t put it near a heat source and use lights approved in laboratory testing.

Christmas tree fires cause about $16.2 million property damage every year, according to the National Fire Research Laboratory.