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Topical Fire R e s earch Series

December 2002 Volume 3, Issue 2

RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE FIRES

DURING THE WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON

FINDINGS

H	 The incidence and severity of fires during the winter holiday season

(December through early January) increase. The greater use of decorations, candles, and Christmas trees in residential structures during this

period contributes to this increase.

H Fires caused by children playing increase during the holiday season.

H	 When Christmas trees are the material first ignited in residential structures, dollar loss per fire is three times higher and fatalities per fire are

eight times higher than fires ignited by other materials.

H	 The incidence of Christmas tree fires increases as the holiday season

progresses because trees (and other plant-like decorations) dry out and

become more combustible.

H Candle fires increase fourfold during the holiday season, killing more

than 10 people, injuring 175, and causing more than $20 million in property losses.

Source: NFPA and NFIRS

Each year, nearly 156,000 fires in the United States occur during the winter holiday season claiming nearly

630 lives, 2,600 injuries, and $936 million in property damage.1,2 Of these, 47,000 residential structure fires

kill 530, injure 2,200, and cause an estimated $554 million in property damage.

Fire loads increase throughout the home during the holiday season. Many homes are decorated with seasonal

garlands, electric lights, candles, banners, or displays. Probably the most popular addition to the home during

the holiday season, and a significant fire hazard, is the Christmas tree. Dried -out fir and pine Christmas trees

ignite easily and can accelerate fire growth by spreading rapidly to nearby combustible materials in the home.

Loss Measures

Winter holiday fires, like winter fires in general

3, are more severe than fires on the average day. In addition,

winter fires that occur during the winter holidays have slightly higher losses (1 to 2 percent) than fires that

occur in the remaining winter season4 (Figure 1).

The losses are highest for those holiday fires that occur in residential structures. Some of these of these holiday residential structure fires are particularly of concern. Such is the case where decorations, candles, and

The reports in the Topical Fire Research Series are published by the

Federal Emergency Management Agency

United States Fire Administration S National Fire Data Center

Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfdc/tfrs.htm
Christmas trees are involved in the ignition (Figure 2). The injury rates are higher and, in the case of Christmas tree fires, the dollar loss per fire is significantly higher. Winter holiday residential structure fires have

three times the dollar loss per fire when Christmas trees are the first material ignited than those fires that are

ignited by other materials. Fatalities per fire when a Christmas tree is the first material ignited is nearly eight

times that of other winter holiday fires.

Figure 1. Loss Measures for All Fires

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

Dollar Loss/Fire

Injuries/1,000 Fires

Fatalities/1,000 Fires

$5,619

15.7

2.4

LOSS MEASURE

AVERAGE

DAY

ALL WINTER

FIRES

$6,476

19.3

3.6

ALL WINTER

HOLIDAY FIRES

$7,040

21.0

4.1

Source: NFIRS only

Figure 2. Loss Measures for Winter Fires in Residential Structures

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

Dollar Loss/Fire

Injuries/1,000 Fires

Fatalities/1,000 Fires

$11,437

49.1

9.9

LOSS MEASURE

WINTER HOLIDAY

DECORATION

FIRES

ALL WINTER

FIRES

$11,668

50.2

9.9

ALL WINTER

HOLIDAY FIRES

WINTER HOLIDAY

CANDLE FIRES

WINTER HOLIDAY

CHRISTMAS TREE

FIRES

$7,827

58.7

0

$12,202

114.6

6.9

$30,693

132.3

31.1

Source: NFIRS only

Causes

Cooking is the leading cause of residential structure fires year round, followed by heating and incendiary/

suspicious. During the winter and winter holiday season, however, heating supplants cooking as the leading

cause of residential structure fires. Winter holiday fires show a slight increase in electrical distribution and

open flame fires over winter residential fires, in large part as a result of the increase in candle, Christmas tree,

and decoration fires. Figure 3 compares the leading causes of residential structure fires between the winter

holiday season, the winter season as a whole, and the entire year.

Figure 3. Causes of Residential Structure Fires

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Heating

Cooking

Incendiary/Suspicious

Electrical Distribution

Open Flame, Ember, Torch

Adjusted Percent

Winter Holiday Res. Structures

Winter Res. Structures

Average Day Res. Structures

Source: NFIRS only
Children Playing With Fire

Residential structure fires caused by children playing increase during the winter holiday season. During this

period, the daily number of residential structure fires caused by children playing fluctuates but remains

around 40 per day (Figure 4). Fires in residential structures during the winter holiday peak on December 19

when close to 60 fires occur and then drop on the following days. Residential structure fires caused by children playing sinks to its lowest level (about 20 fires) on Christmas Day and the day following Christmas.

This may be due to children being in the presence of their parents on the holiday and their preoccupation with

the festivities and gifts. On New Year’s day, however, there is a sharp increase in the number of residential

structure fires caused by children playing. More than 100 residential structure fires caused by children playing occur over the New Year’s holiday.

5 The incidence of residential structure fires caused by children playing returns to usual levels after January 7.

Figure 4. Holiday Season Residential Structure

Fires Caused by Children Playing

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Number of Fires

December January

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 2 4 6

Source: NFIRS only

Decorations

Residential structure fires where the form of material ignited is a decoration tend to injure many people,

although not to the degree of fires started by candles or Christmas trees. Although deaths in these fires are

extremely rare, injuries soar with as many as 60 injuries per 1,000 fires. Approximately 330 residential structure fires occur each winter holiday where decorations are involved in the ignition.

Residential structure fires where decorations are involved occur more frequently during the winter holiday

season. Approximately nine residential structure fires occur per day during the winter holiday season

compared two per day during the rest of the year. Homeowners should be cautious in the placement of decorations during the winter holiday season. Placing decorations too close to a heat source could be a recipe for

fire.
Candle Fires

Many people decorate their homes with candles during the winter holiday season. Consequently, candle fires

increase fourfold during this period. More than 1,600 residential structure fires occur each winter holiday season where candles are the form of heat of ignition. Candle fires kill more than 10 people, injure another 175,

and cause more than $20 million in property damage each holiday season. For every 1,000 residential structure fires where candles are the form of heat of ignition, 7 people die and 115 people are injured. Candle fires

cause an estimated $12,200 in property damage per fire.

A noticeable increase in candle fires in residential structures occurs on Christmas Day when more than 110

fires occur. Homeowners must be alert and should never leave a lit candle unattended. Figure 5 shows the

daily incidence of candle fires in residential structures during the winter holiday season.

Figure 5. Holiday Season Residential Structure Fires:

Candles as Material First Ignited

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Number of Fires

December January

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 2 4 6

Source: NFIRS only

Christmas Trees

Many homes have Christmas trees during the winter holiday season. While few in number, Christmas tree

fires lead to significant losses in residential structure fires. There are about five residential structure fires per

day during the winter holiday season. The number of residential structure fires where Christmas trees are the

form of material first ignited are relatively low in the beginning of the winter holiday season and increase significantly through the holiday season. Figure 6 shows the daily incidence of residential structure fires where

Christmas trees are the form of material first ignited. Each year more than 200 residential structure fires occur

where Christmas trees are the form of material first ignited.

As the winter holiday season progresses, live or cut Christmas trees and greens dry out. Living plants (including trees) do not burn as easily as dead ones. As plants die, they dry out and become more combustible. Some

of these fires can be prevented through by shortening the time the tree is in the home and by keeping the tree

watered. Using preservatives when watering the Christmas tree may also be beneficial. Ingredients for such

preservatives can be obtained from your local fire department or the United States Fire Administration

(http://www.usfa.fema.gov). The use of artificial Christmas trees will also lower the incidence of tree fires in

residences.
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Figure 6. Holiday Season Residential Structure Fires:

Christmas Trees as Material First Ignited

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

0

3

6

9

12

15

Number of Fires

December January

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 2 4 6

Source: NFIRS only

Examples

S December 15, 1993: Salt Lake City, Utah – Improperly spliced electrical wires ignited dry, decorative

moss wrapped around the trunk of the Christmas tree in the Governor’s mansion, an historical landmark. The moss acted like a wick, carrying the flames up the tree to the second floor. Firewood

stacked around the base of the tree for support and decoration fed the fire on the main floor. All the

people in the mansion were safe, but a state treasure was nearly lost. Restoration of the mansion cost

more than $5 million.

6

S December 16, 1999: Korona, Florida – A child playing with matches lit a mattress on fire, entrapping

the five members of his family. Three family members were able to escape from the fire, but two children died of smoke inhalation.7

S December 23, 2000: New York City – Two children were killed and their parents critically injured by

a fire that was ignited when a candle accidentally rolled under the family’s Christmas tree.8

S December 23, 2001: Memphis, Tennessee – A family of five was trapped in a bedroom in their

second-floor apartment when a fire broke out. Faulty wiring in the family’s Christmas tree caused the

fire that rapidly burned throughout the apartment, blocking the doorway to the bedroom where all

five were sleeping. Three of the family members died as a result of the fire.9

Conclusion

During the winter Holiday season, the fireload inside a home increases. As a result of this increased fuel,

losses from residential structure fires increase. Especially tragic are those fires caused by decorations,

candles, and Christmas trees. Efforts must be made to make a fire -safe home, especially during the winter

holiday season. Homeowners must be aware of the increased fire hazards present in their homes during this

festive time of year.
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Notes:

1. National estimates are based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) (1996 -1998) and the National

Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) annual survey, Fire Loss in the United States.

2. For this analysis, the winter season begins December 1 and ends January 7 of the following year.

3. See Topical Fire Research Series “Winter Residential Fires” at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/tfrs/v1i13.pdf (print)

or http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/tfrs/v1i13 -508.pdf (accessible).

4. For this analysis, the winter season begins November 1 and ends February 29.

5. For this analysis, the New Years holiday consists of those fires occurring on December 31 and January 1.

6. Station KCPW, December 22, 2000 (http://www.slcpl.lib.ut.us/cec/archive/December22.html).

7. Haug, Jim, “Florida Fire That Killed LDS Girls Ruled Accident,” News Journal, January 5, 2000.

8. “Candle Starts Fire Fatal to 2 Children,” New York Daily News, December 23, 2000.

9. “Christmas Tree Believed Cause of Fire That Killed 3,” Oak Ridger Online, December 24, 2001

(http://www.oakridger.com/stories/122401/stt1224010026.html).

To review the detailed methodology used in this analysis, click

METHODOLOGY. To request additional information, or to comment on this

report, visit http://www.usfa.fema.gov/feedback/