Holiday decorating is often depicted in movies by characters who hang countless strings of lights and suffer falls from ladders or rooftops for comic effect. Unfortunately, these types of incidents are grounded in reality and, unlike in the movies, they are often no laughing matter. In fact, each year it is estimated that about 12,500 people go to hospital emergency rooms for falls, cuts, shocks and burns related to holiday decorating, according to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) statistics.

"Holiday decorating incidents often involve faulty holiday lights, candles and dried-out Christmas trees," said Acting CPSC Chairman Nancy Nord. "Follow the CPSC's safety tips to keep your holidays fun and festive, as suffering a serious injury is not on anyone's list."

Christmas trees are involved in about 300 fires annually. This results in an average of 20 deaths, 40 injuries and about $8 million in property damage and loss. In addition, there are nearly 15,000 candle-related fires each year, which result in 170 deaths and $327 million in property loss.

To help prevent these types of incidents, CPSC monitors holiday lights and other decorations sold at stores and on the Internet. CPSC works with the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to identify and prevent unsafe holiday light sets that pose fire risks from being distributed in the U.S.
 

Holiday Tree Fire Hazards - Special fire safety precautions need to be taken when keeping a live tree in the house. A burning tree can rapidly fill a room with fire and deadly gases.

Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.

Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or woodburning stove.

When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL/ITSNA. Use only newer lights that have thicker wiring and are required to have safety fuses to prevent the wires from overheating.

Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets.

If using an extension cord, make sure it is rated for the intended use.

Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.

When using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use and plug them into only ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected receptacles.

Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire!

Use Only Nonflammable Decorations

All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents.

Never Put Wrapping Paper in a Fireplace

It can throw off dangerous sparks and produce a chemical buildup in the home that could cause an explosion.

When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree is more resistant to burning.

Keep burning candles within sight.

Keep lighted candles away from items that can burn easily, such as trees, other evergreens, decorations, curtains and furniture.

Always use non-flammable holders and keep away from children and pets.

Extinguish all candles before you go to bed or leave the house.