Topical Fire Research Series Volume 6, Issue 4 / December 2006

December and Holiday Fires

Findings:

An estimated 128,700 fires in December account for 415 deaths and 1,650 injuries.

In December, 72% of structure fires occur in residential buildings.

The leading cause of December residential building structure fires involves cooking.

The use of traditional adornments such as Christmas trees and decorations provide additional points of ignition that increase the incidence of holiday fires.

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December marks the beginning of the holiday season, which includes Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and 

New Year’s Eve. Using the latest 3 years of data from 2002 

to 2004, the yearly national fire loss for December is estimated at $990 million. Each year, these losses result from 

an estimated 128,700 December fires that required a fire 

department response. These December fires cause an average 

of approximately 1,650 injuries and 415 fatalities.1, 2

The National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data 

show that the average dollar loss per fire is 8% higher 

during December than during the winter months, but the 

injury and death rates are relatively unchanged, as shown in 

Table 1.

Table 1. Loss Measures

[All Fires, 3-year average (2002-2004)]

Measure Winter Average December

Loss per fire $9,461 $10,233

Injuries per 1000 fires 13.6 13.4

Deaths per 1000 fires   3.1   3.2

Source: NFIRS 5.0 data only; Loss per fire is computed for only those fires where loss information was provided.

Note: Winter is defined as January, February, and March.

The difference between life and death can result from 

following basic safety tips and warnings set forth by fire 

prevention organizations supported by State and local 

fire marshals. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there 

were 105,500,000 households in America in 2000.3 Each 

household’s ability to prevent holiday fires improves with 

persistent fire safety education.

Beyond households, public holiday decorations are often 

mandated by State and local fire marshals.4 In recent years, 

more ordinances require the application of flame retardant 

on Christmas trees and prohibit the use of non-U.L. (Underwriters Laboratories) electric lights or lighted candles in 

public buildings.5,6

Types of Fires

In December, as with other colder winter months, structure 

fires increase and play a more important role in the fire picture, as more human activities move indoors. Nearly half of 

December fires are structure fires (46%) while outside fires 

fall to less than a third of fires (29%), as shown in Figure 1. 

Even with repeated safety messages, holiday fires continue 

to occur. On average, structure and outside fires account for 

a similar percentage of the Nation’s fires.

Annually, 69% of structure fires are defined as residential 

buildings. In December, this proportion rises to nearly 

three-quarters (72%).7 The primary focus of this analysis, 

therefore, involves fires in residential buildings, which 

include single or multifamily dwellings, mobile homes, 

hotels and motels, dormitory-type residences, barracks, and 

other such occupancies. 

continued on next page

U.S. Department of Homeland Security • U.S. Fire Administration

National Fire Data Center • Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

www.usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/reports/pubs/tfrs.shtm 
TFRS Volume 6, Issue 4/ December and Holiday Fires Page 2

Figure 1. Percent of Fires for the Years 2002-2004

Source: NFIRS 5.0 data only

Table 2. Residential Building Loss Measures

[3-year average ( 2002-2004)]

Measure Winter December

Loss per fire $15,580 $15,829

Injuries per 1000 fires 34.0 30.4

Deaths per 1000 fires   8.3   7.0

in Figure 2. December sees an increase in cooking and open 

flame fires and a corresponding decrease in heating fires.

Cooking fires routinely start to increase around Thanksgiving and peak in December, as shown in Figure 3. Meal preparation for parties and family gatherings during the holidays 

typically generates lots of activity. Traditional holiday decorations and rituals frequently include candles which, as an 

open flame source, also can lead to holiday tragedies when 

not monitored properly. Children in particular are attracted 

to candles.8 This attraction can be especially dangerous during the holidays when candle use increases.9

Source: NFIRS 5.0 data only; Loss per fire is computed for only those fires where loss information was provided.

Note: Winter is defined as January, February, and March.

Dollar loss per fire for winter and December residential 

building fires is about one-and-a-half times that of all fires 

for the same period. Death and injury rates however, are 

over twice that of all fires, as shown in Table 2.

Causes of December Fires in 

Residential Buildings

Cooking is the leading cause of residential building fires in 

December, accounting for 41% of fires, followed by heating 

fires at 28%, open flame fires at 9%, and incendiary/suspicious fires at 7%. This cause profile is very similar to the 

cause profile of winter residential building fires, as shown 

Cooking Fires

Cooks in the kitchen may find themselves distracted with 

holiday guests, entertaining, and last-minute details. Unfortunately, these distractions can turn into fire hazards all too 

quickly. 

When factors contributing to ignition are noted, over half 

(54%) of December residential building cooking fires are 

the result of either the food (8%) or the equipment (36%) 

being left unattended, or combustible items (such items 

as oven mitts, cook books, tea towels, or wooden spoons), 

being left too close to the cooking heat source (10%). 

continued on page 3
TFRS Volume 6, Issue 4/ December and Holiday Fires Page 3

Figure 2. Percent of Residential Building Fires by Cause for the Years 2002-2004

Source: NFIRS 5.0 data only

Figure 3. Percent of Cooking Fires in Residential Buildings for the Years 2002-2004

Source: NFIRS 5.0 data only
TFRS Volume 6, Issue 4/ December and Holiday Fires Page 4

On average, the percentage of cooking fires that occur on 

any given day in December is slightly above 3%, which 

coincides with the first 3 weeks of December. However, a 

substantial increase in cooking fires emerges on Christmas 

Eve (4.7%) and Christmas Day (5.3%). Moreover, in the first 

few days after Christmas, cooking fires drop below average 

(2.8%) and then rise again on New Year’s Eve (3.7%), as 

shown in Figure 4. 

Otherwise, the overall distribution of cooking fires in 

December relative to the time of day is consistent with 

other winter months, when cooking fires peak between 

5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Although cooking fires in residences are 

numerous and produce the most injuries of all fire causes, 

94% of these fires are confined fires and usually do not 

result in major dollar loss or fatalities. For example, a small 

fire from a pan left on the stove could result in external 

burns from trying to contain the fire by covering the pan, 

while the extent of the dollar loss is limited to the cost of 

replacing the pan.

Children Playing With Fire

Residential building fires attributed to children playing 

amount to about half a percent of all winter residential 

building fires. On average, 8% of casualties (deaths and injuries) occur each month of the year. However, the percent 

of children-playing injuries increases during December to 

11% and the winter average for injuries caused by children 

playing is also above average at 10%. The proportion of 

deaths caused by children-playing fires is surprisingly high 

during the winter months (13%) and double in December 

at 26%. Fires that result from children playing spike in the 

days before Christmas, only to decrease on Christmas Day 

when parents most likely have time to supervise and engage 

in their children’s activities. However, this lull in children’s 

mischievousness remains short-lived, as fires due to children playing again increase steadily until New Year’s Day.

Holiday Items First Ignited

While few incidents involving holiday items (e.g., decorations and Christmas trees) are reported to NFIRS, Christmas 

tree fires have some of the highest loss rates for December 

residential building fires as shown in Table 3.10 Sixty-six 

percent of residential building Christmas tree fires occur in 

December; 26% of decoration-related residential building 

fires occur in December as well.11 Both of these proportions 

are well above the winter average (8% for Christmas trees 

and 9% for decorations.) continued on next page

Figure 4. Percent of December Cooking Fires in Residential Buildings 

for the Years 2002-2004

Source: NFIRS 5.0 data only
TFRS Volume 6, Issue 4/ December and Holiday Fires Page 5

Why are these fires so expensive and injurious? There are 

several possible explanations: the location of both the decorations and the trees tend to be in common areas—family 

rooms, living rooms, and other assembly areas that are typically in the heart of the residence; fires that begin there can 

easily spread to other areas of the home. Another important 

explanation is that the Christmas tree itself provides an efficient fuel source. Dry fir trees provide both a large surface 

area for an open flame and resin to fuel quick-burning, hot 

fires, which quickly spread outside the room of origin.

NFIRS data show that Christmas tree fires generally are not 

confined to the room of origin. As the fire spreads, the dollar loss increases; as shown in Table 4. 

Attempting to contain such incidents without professional 

fire assistance is nearly impossible. Most residences are not 

equipped with sprinkler systems. Residential sprinklers 

were found in less than 3% of residences that reported 

fires to NFIRS.12 In addition, household fire extinguishers 

Table 4. Loss Measures for December Fire Spread by Christmas Trees

in Common Living Areas

[Residential Buildings, 3-year average ( 2002-2004)]

usually only hold two pounds of dry chemical, an amount 

that is not sufficient to extinguish a fully enveloped fire.13

Not surprisingly, fire safety during the holidays emphasizes 

particular care for Christmas trees.

Table 3. Loss Measures for Holiday Items 

First Ignited

[Residential Buildings, 3-year average ( 2002-2004)]

Measures

Christmas Trees Decorations

Winter December Winter December

Loss per fire $47,378 $59,299 $22,655 $19,878

Injuries per 1000 fires 102.6 105.3 51.2 43.8

Deaths per 1000 fires 0.0 61.4 0.0 0.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0 data only; Loss per fire is computed for only those fires where loss information was provided.

Note: Winter is defined as January, February, and March.

Zero death rates are the result of no deaths reported to NFIRS.

Measure

Flame Spread Confined to:

Room of origin Floor of origin Building of origin Beyond building of 

origin

Loss per fire w/o Christmas Tree first ignited $14,433 $36,256 $56,479 $78,686

Loss per fire with Christmas Tree first ignited $26,262 $89,167 $95,419 $181,600

Candles

Holiday rituals traditionally use candles to create a festive and warm atmosphere. Three percent of all residential building fires during the holidays and winter months 

involve candles as the initial heat source. In most cases, 

candles lead to residential building fires when they are 

left unattended or ignite nearby combustibles, resulting in 

more candle-related fire incidents in December than in any 

other month.14 According to NFIRS data, 14% of annual 

candle fires occur in December. Therefore, several recommendations for candle safety during the December and 

winter months include the following:

Never use candles to decorate a Christmas tree.

Keep candles inside a 1-foot circle, free from decorations and other combustible materials.

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Source: NFIRS 5.0 data only; Loss per fire is computed for only those fires where loss information was provided.

Use sturdy candle holders that won’t tip over easily 

and are large enough to collect candle wax.

Keep candles up high and out of reach of children and 

pets.

Extinguish candles after use.

Do not leave candles unattended.

Examples

Each year, newspapers are filled with tragic stories of 

families killed by fires related to holiday items. Below are 

four examples of such fires:

On December 29, 2003, candles too close to a dry 

Christmas tree started a house fire that killed the father 

and his two children. A total of nine people were inside 

the home at the time of the fire.15

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continued on next page
TFRS Volume 6, Issue 4/ December and Holiday Fires Page 6

On December 24, 2002, malfunctioning Christmas 

lights were responsible for starting a fire on the first 

floor of an apartment complex, which destroyed all 16 

units.16

On December 27, 2001, overloaded electrical wires and 

a space heater that were too close ignited a Christmas 

tree, and the fire killed three children and injured three 

other family members.17

On Christmas Day, 2003, a woman died in a fire that 

apparently started in the kitchen of her apartment. A 

family member said the kitchen had been the scene of 

small fires twice in the past couple of years.18

Conclusion

The December holidays and winter months produce a 

seasonally-specific fire profile due to activities and rituals 

during Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. 

December fires cost more per fire than the average winter 

fire. The major causes of residential building fires include 

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cooking, heating fires, open flame, and incendiary/suspicious fires. During the holidays, major peaks develop relative to daily and monthly averages. Christmas day has the 

most cooking fires. Fires resulting from Christmas trees, as 

the items first ignited, generate some of the highest dollar 

loss per fire in the month of December. Christmas tree fires 

spread quickly, compounding the dollar loss as they spread. 

In addition, December also has the most fire incidents 

caused by children playing, where candles represent the 

heat source. By following local ordinances and common 

fire safety procedures related to cooking, candle usage, and 

decorations, potential fires remain preventable.

A substantial proportion of holiday and winter residential 

building fires are small, confined fires, particularly related 

to cooking, which highlights the need for individuals to 

keep fire extinguishers and working smoke alarms in their 

homes. More information about how you can help prevent fires during the holidays and winter months can be 

obtained from your local fire department or the USFA.

To request additional information or comment on this report, visit 

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/feedback/
TFRS Volume 6, Issue 4/ December and Holiday Fires Page 7

Notes:

1NFIRS 5.0 contains both converted NFIRS 4.1 data and native 

NFIRS 5.0 data. This topical report includes only native 5.0 data.

2National estimates are based on native version 5.0 data 2002–04 

from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and 

national fire loss estimates from the National Fire Protection 

Association’s (NFPA) Annual Survey of fire loss. Fires are rounded 

to the nearest 100, deaths to the nearest 5, injuries to the nearest 

25, and loss to nearest $M.

3USA Quick Facts. Households, Persons per Household, and Households with Individuals Under 18, 2000. http://quickfacts.census.

gov/qfd/meta/long_71058.htm

4Kathleen Murphy, “‘O Christmas Tree’ More Than a Carol in Some 

States,” Stateline.org, December 24, 2003, http://www.stateline.

org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&conte

ntId=15513

5 Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. Fire Prevention Standards 

http://www.smfd.ca.gov/pdf/FPS435.201%20Cut%20Natural%2

0Christmas%20Trees.pdf#search=%22fire%20retardant%20for%2

0christmas%20trees%20in%20buildings%22

6 State of Maryland, Department of State Police, Office of the State 

Fire Marshal, Evergreen Fire Safety Regulations, http://www.firemarshal.

state.md.us/tree.htm

7 In NFIRS 5.0, a structure is a constructed item, of which a building is one type. The term “residential structure” commonly refers 

to buildings where people live. The definition of a residential 

structure fire has, therefore, changed to include only those fires 

where the NFIRS 5.0 structure type is 1 or 2 (enclosed building 

and fixed portable or mobile structure) with a residential property use. Such fires are referred to as “residential buildings” to 

distinguish these buildings from other structures on residential 

properties that may include fences, sheds, and other nonhabitable 

structures. Incident type 112 was excluded from this analysis of 

residential building fires, however, as incident type 112 is defined 

as “fires in a structure other than a building.” As the confined fire 

incidents may not have the structure type noted, confined fires 

without a structure type specified are assumed to be buildings. 

Those that occur on residential properties are then assumed to be 

residential buildings. Only confined trash fires coded as enclosed 

buildings and fixed portable or mobile structures are included in 

this definition; all other confined trash fires are excluded.

8 Holiday Safety Tips for Kids, newswise, November 26, 2004, 

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as referenced at http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/508518/?sc=mwtn

9United States Fire Administration, “Candle Fires in Residential 

Structures,” Topical Fire Research Series, Volume 6, Issue 1/July 2006.

10 In the three years of NFIRS data available for this report (2002-

2004), only 1,154 residential building fires noted Christmas trees 

or decorations as the item first ignited. This sample represents less 

than 0.3% of all residential building fires for this period.

11 Christmas tree and decoration fires spill over into the first week 

of January as well. Approximately 14% of residential Christmas 

tree fires occur between January 1 and 7; an additional 4% of 

decoration-related fires occur in this same week.

12 Fire in the United States 1989-1998, 12th ed. Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, United States Fire Administration, National 

Fire Data Center, FA-216, August 2001.

13Discussion with line firefighters have noted that, at a minimum, it would take a 5-pound commercial-grade extinguisher to 

perhaps put out a Christmas tree fire at its origin, and that most 

home­owners do not have commercial-grade fire extinguishers.

14United States Fire Administration, “Candle Fires in Residential 

Structures,” Topical Fire Research Series, Volume 6, Issue 1/July 2006.

15Associated Press, “Christmas Tree Blamed For Deadly Fire,” 

http://www.nbc4.com, December 30, 2003.

16Dana Tofig, Paul Kaplan, “Victim Sees Lesson in Christmas Fire: 

Lightning-fast Blaze Chars Gifts But Claims No Lives”, The Atlanta 

Journal, December 24, 2003.

17 “National Briefing: Midwest: Michigan: 3 Children Die In Fire,” 

The New York Times, December 27, 2001.

18Oren Yaniv, “Kitchen Fire Leaves Pillar of Harlem Dead at 71,” 

The New York Times, December 31, 2003, http://query.nytimes.

com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9800E7DD113EF932A05

751C1A9659C8B63

Related Topics:

Holiday Fire Prevention: http://www.usfa.dhs.

gov/safety/tips/holiday.shtm

The Seasonal Nature of Fires, January 2005: 

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-236.pdf

Topical Fire Research Series: New Year’s Holiday Fires, Vol. 4, Issue 5, http://www.usfa.dhs.

gov/statistics/reports/pubs/tfrs.shtm

Topical Fire Research Series: Christmas/Christmas Tree Fires, Vol. 1, Issue 4, http://www.usfa.

dhs.gov/statistics/reports/pubs/tfrs.shtm

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