The Sarasota County Fire Department wants the community to have a safe holiday season by sharing safety tips and demonstrating the possible dangers of a dry tree and flammable holiday décor.

Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage or against the home outside. Decorations should be at least three feet away from heat sources.

Additional fire safety tips:

• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections.
• Always turn off tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.
• Use battery-operated candles.
• Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
• Keep children and items that may catch fire away from lit candles.
• Add water to the tree stand daily if you have a live tree.
• Get rid of the tree after holiday or when it is dry.

More Winter Holiday Fire Facts

• 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.
• Nearly one in four (24%) Christmas tree fires were started by lamps or bulbs. Eleven percent were started by candles.
• Almost half (48%) home Christmas tree fires started in the living room.
• Candle fires peak in December and January with 12 percent of candle fires in occurring in December and 10 percent of candle fires occurring in January.
• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
• 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.

Source: NFPA Research

Christmas tree & decoration fires

Carefully decorating your home can help make your holidays safer. 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.

US fire departments responded to an estimated average of 835 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees.

Nearly half of home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems.

A heat source too close to the tree causes nearly one in four of the fires.

In the throes of holiday shopping and decorating? Also see: UL white paper: Reducing the Fire Hazard of Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Trees

Christmas tree disposal

As Christmas trees dry out, they become more and more flammable. Thirty-five percent of Christmas tree fires were in January. Although Christmas tree fires are not common, they can grow very fast.

Source: NFPA Research

Holiday cooking

In 2024, the three leading dates for home structure fires caused by cooking were: Thanksgiving, Christmas day and Christmas Eve. That's why it's important to know what you can do to help keep your friends and family safe while entertaining for the holidays.

Source: NFPA Research

WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.