Christmas safety
With Christmas upon us, the Marion Fire Department would like to remind the community about home fire safety during the holidays.
Here are some holiday fire facts according to NFPA research:
- U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 835 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees. These fires caused an annual average of 3 civilian fire deaths, 29 civilian fire injuries and $18 million in direct property damage.
- Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in two in five (40%) home Christmas tree fires.
- Year round, one-third (33%) of home decoration fires were started by candles. This jumped to half in December when candles started 49% of such fires. Cooking started nearly one-fifth (18%) of decoration fires.
- Between 2020-2024, US fire departments responded to an average of 143 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. These fires were responsible for an estimated 7 civilian deaths, 13 civilian injuries, and $15M in property damage during that time period.
As your Christmas trees dry out, they become much more flammable. Thirty-five percent of Christmas tree fires were in January. Although Christmas tree fires are not common, they can grow very fast. So be aware of disposing your Christmas tree safely as soon as you can after enjoying it for the holidays.
Below is a video linked on how quickly a dried out Christmas tree can ignite.
Christmas Tree Fire Turns Devastating and Deadly Within Seconds - YouTube
Nearly half of home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems, and heat sources too close to the tree causes nearly one in four of the fires.
In 2024, the three leading dates for home structure fires caused by cooking were: Thanksgiving, Christmas day and Christmas Eve.
Staying in the general area where you are cooking, ensuring that your smoke alarms are working, and being aware of children and pets around the hot appliances and surfaces are very easy ways to stay safe in the kitchen during the holidays.
Being safe during the holidays takes very simple steps. Ensuring you peace of mind to be able to enjoy the day.
In addition, here is a quick summary on lithium-ion batteries safety. Many electronic items now include them, and its very, very important to know the dangers of them and safety tips when they are included in toys or other gift items.
