As families gather to decorate, cook, and celebrate, fire safety advocates are urging everyone to take a few simple steps to keep holiday traditions from turning into tragedy. Christmas trees, decorations, lights, candles, and even cooking a holiday meal all have the potential to spark a dangerous fire. A dry Christmas tree can ignite in seconds and reach deadly flashover in under three minutes, conditions that quickly become unsurvivable.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), each year in the U.S.:
- About 155 home fires are caused by Christmas trees
- One in every 22 of these tree fires results in a death
- Another 835 home fires annually begin when other holiday decorations catch fire, resulting in nearly $300 million in property damage
This holiday season, former Fire Chief and now President of the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), Shane Ray, and other fire safety advocates are teaming up with Common Voices to show how fast fire spreads, and how sprinklers stop it. Together, they are hosting Christmas Tree Burn Demonstrations* using a side-by-side burn demonstration trailer, and sharing life-saving safety tips for decorating and cooking during the holidays.
“No one plans for a holiday fire, but everyone can plan to prevent one,” said Chief Shane Ray, President of the National Fire Sprinkler Association. “A dry Christmas tree or an unattended candle can turn a living room into a deadly fire in minutes. Our goal is to make sure every family goes to bed safe and wakes up together after the holidays.” Families can see the power of fire and fire sprinklers by watching a side-by-side burn demonstration, where two decorated “living rooms” are set on fire at the same time: one with fire sprinklers and one without.
Watch the demo: https://xplorlabs.org/resource/side-by-side-burn/
Common Voices and NFSA have also created a downloadable Holiday Safety Flyer with clear, simple actions families can take right now to reduce fire risk:
- Water the tree stand daily – really, every day.
- Always turn off and unplug lights before leaving home or going to bed.
- Dispose of the tree within 30 days or by January 2, whichever comes first.
* The Christmas Tree Burn Demonstration uses a specially designed trailer with two mock living rooms, each furnished with:
- A dry Christmas tree
- Holiday decorations
- Furniture
- Smoke alarms
One room is protected by a fire sprinkler system, and the other is not.
A fire is ignited in both rooms to show:
- How quickly a dry tree can ignite and how fast fire spreads
- How unprotected rooms can become deadly in minutes,
- How quickly and effectively fire sprinklers can control a fire
These demonstrations offer an unforgettable, real-world look at why prevention, early detection, and fire sprinklers are critical tools in keeping families safe, not only during the holidays, but all year long.
About Common Voices
Common Voices (www.fireadvocates.org) is an advocates’ coalition of members who all have been directly affected by fire. By bringing their voices together, they hope to educate others regarding fire and its devastating impact. Their mission is to create a fire-safe America by sharing their stories, creating resources that educate and sharing fire statistics.
