Christmas Tree Fire Prevention

12/1/2020 (Permalink)

Preventing Christmas Tree Fires

The NFPA says an average of 230 fires are attributed to Christmas trees each year.  Christmas tree fires are more likely to be serious due to the following contributing factors: 

• a dry tree 
• electrical lights
• abundant fuel supply (gifts) under the tree 

The most common causes are:

• electrical failures (32%)
• having the tree too close to a heat source like a fireplace or wood stove (17%)
• being too close to candles (7%).

Christmas tree fires cause an average of $18.3 million in property damage each year. Like candle fires (the number one cause of fires in the home), Christmas tree fires are more common during the holidays, with 43% occurring in December and 39% in January.

Safety tips:

• Keep live trees well watered and dispose of them before they become dry.
• Turn off tree lights before leaving the house or going to bed.
• Check lights for any shorts or other electrical issues before putting them on the tree.

If the unthinkable happens, SERVPRO of Lake Travis / NW Austin has specialized fire and water damage restoration training, personnel, and equipment to handle fire and water damage and can quickly restore your home to pre-fire condition.

Source: National Fire Protection Association and http://www.propertycasualty360.com