Christmas Trees & Fire Safety Reminders for the Holiday Season

As cold weather is upon us and the holiday season fast approaches, it's time to share some important fire safety information associated with Christmas trees.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that each year an average 210 home structure fires begin with Christmas trees. Data from 2002 through 2005, show these types of fires caused an average of 24 civilian deaths, 27 civilian injuries, and $13.3 million in direct property damage per year.

The NFPA analysis shows that although the number of Christmas tree fires is low, the hazard associated with these types of fires is quite high. The percentage of trees involved in structure fires represent an extremely small portion of the total number of natural Christmas trees sold [approx. 30 million trees, in the US each year]. Even so, on average, one of every nine Christmas tree fires resulted in a fatality compared to an average of one death per 75 structure fires when a fire is not confined to the room of origin. About 49 percent of those tree fires spread beyond the room of origin and those caused approximately 94 percent of the associated fatalities.

The good news is that properly maintaining a cut Christmas tree significantly reduces the ability to not become a part of the statistics that NFPA references. The moisture content of each tree plays perhaps the single most significant role in reducing the fire hazard your tree represents. By keeping the tree well-watered, the moisture content in the needles of the tree will remain high, helping to limit accidental ignition and prevent rapid flame spread. A tree which has dry needles can more easily ignite when exposed to a flame source and will generate heat release rates that are capable of causing flashover in residential scale rooms.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have numerous videos, including one that illustrates the benefit of keeping your tree well watered available on their website. Those videos and more may be viewed at http://www.fire.nist.gov/tree_fire.htm.

For those who have sprinkler systems within your homes, you will also find video showing the results of living room (mock-ups built inside their lab) fires where their scientists exposed two dry Christmas trees to an open flame. Although damage is significantly reduced, please don't think of the fire sprinkler systems as a substitute for watering the tree.

I hope you have a safe holiday season and remember . . . keep your tree watered.

Should you have any questions about the article, feel free to contact Jim Smith via email at Jim.Smith@wi.gov or phone at 608-266-0251.

-- J.B. Smith, P.E.