House fires occuring in the Christmas season are often caused by Christmas tree fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Christmas tree fires are more hazardous and result in fatalities more than other fire causes. Safety should be a top priority to prevent Christmas tree fires during the holidays.

It is presumed that artificial Christmas trees are safer and are less likely to be fire hazards than real Christmas trees. While they can be fire retardant, the fact still remains that PVC or PE Christmas trees can still burn, and homeowners must take the same precautionary measures for artificial Christmas trees as they do for real Christmas trees.

The NFPA and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) have demonstrated on their website how Christmas trees catch fire, and how dangerous these fires can be. Bearing this in mind, NFPA and USFA have come up with fire safety tips for your Christmas trees during the holidays.

1. Keep your Christmas trees away from heat and fire sources, or anything that can start a fire. Place them far from any electrical appliances, as these can generate heat also. Needles and branches of real Christmas trees dry after too much exposure to heat and they become a fire hazard. Thus it is important to keep your Christmas trees moist. You may do so by ensuring that the base of the Christmas tree pole is watered daily. This will not only keep your Christmas trees looking fresh, but they will be more resistant to fire.

2. Keep your Christmas trees away from fire places or candles. Meanwhile, avoid lighting any candles or cigarettes near the Christmas trees.

3. As for artificial Christmas trees, they should be fire resistant or retardant.

4. It is recommended that live Christmas trees stay for a maximum of two weeks in your homes. It may be difficult to keep your Christmas trees fresh beyond that.

5. Check the condition of the Christmas tree lights. Look for any busted bulbs, broken bulbs, open or exposed wirings, and any possible cause of sparks or fires. You may observe the same if you have pre-lit Christmas trees. Check for these before plugging in any lights. Christmas tree lights should also be turned off when not in use, when everyone’s asleep, or when no one is home.

6. As for Christmas tree decorations, choose those that are fire resistant. Never use candles as Christmas tree lights.

7. Make sure that you do not overload any plugs and circuits in your home. And ensure that anything plugged should be unplugged to avoid any electrical short circuits.

With these in mind, may you have a safe, and fire resistant holiday.