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Holiday Decoration + Candle Safety

holiday candle with decorations and blue, snowy background

How to Prevent Your Candles and Holiday Decorations from Starting a Fire

While candles and holiday decorations can make a home beautiful and festive, they can also increase risk of a house fire, unfortunately. Following a few simple safety tips, though, can help your holiday season stay happy, safe, and fun!

Candle Safety

According to the National Fire Prevention Association:

  • 11% of candle fires occur each year in both December and January.
  • In a five-year span from 2015 through 2019, fires caused by candles resulted in an annual average of 670 injuries, 90 deaths, and nearly $300 million in property damage.
  • From 2015 through 2019, fire departments in the United States responded to over 7,000 fires started by candles – each year!
  • Christmas Day is the peak day for candle fires.

Keep your holidays safe by following these candle safety best practices:

  • Candles should always be out of pets’ and children’s reach.
  • If you leave a room or go to bed, blow out candles.

“More than one-third of candle fires start in the bedroom,” according to the National Fire Prevention Association.

For more information on candle safety this holiday season, see the NFPA’s Candle Safety flyer.

Household and Outdoor Decorations

Placing decorations too close to a heat source results in nearly 50% of home fires each year.

For information on Christmas tree fire safety, read our blog: Christmas Tree Fire Safety: 10 Tips to Ensure a Happy & Safe Holiday Season.

General Fire Safety

 

*This post was originally published December 7, 2020.


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