"T’was the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a candle was lit, as they were all blown out. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, With smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed over their heads!"

Danger Over the Presents: Christmas Tree Fire Safety

NIST Building and Fire Research Laboratory
Originally Published December 22, 2001

Video Capture Courtesy NIST
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Click for Streaming RealVideo of a NIST fire tree blaze simulation
It only takes a few seconds for disaster

Quick Christmas Tree Fire Facts

• Christmas trees have been involved in a number of significant fire incidents and account for approximately 400 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, 80 injuries and more than $15 million in property damage, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

• Using the latest three years of data, the USFA estimates fire loss during this time frame to be over $80 million. These fires cause an annual national average of 250 injuries and 40 fatalities.

• The typical ignition scenario involve shorted electrical lights or exposure to an open flame, such as a candle.

• The few days prior to Christmas and the day after (December 24 thru December 16), according to the USFA, deaths, injuries and fire loss increase an average 50%, 61% and 43% respectively. It is estimated that there are Christmas trees in one-third of all households at this time of year.

• From December 1-14 there is an average of 1.2 Christmas tree fires per day. Between December 15 and January 1, an average of 7.7 Christmas tree fires occur.

What's a holiday party or even the traditional Christmas morning scene itself without a beautifully decorated tree? If your household, as those of more than 33 million other American homes, includes a natural tree in its festivities, take to heart the sales person's suggestion --Keep the tree watered. That's good advice and not just to create a fragrant indoor winter wonderland atmosphere. Christmas trees account for 400 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, 80 injuries and more than $15 million in property damage. Typically shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires. Well-watered trees are not a problem. Dry and neglected trees can be. The video clip above from the Building and Fire Research Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology illustrates what happens when fire touches a dry tree. Within three seconds of ignition, the dry Scotch pine is completely ablaze. At five seconds, the fire extends up the tree and black smoke with searing gases streaks across the ceiling. Fresh air near the floor feeds the fire. The sofa, coffee table and the carpet ignite prior to any flame contact. Within 40 seconds "flashover" occurs -- that's when an entire room erupts into flames, oxygen is depleted and dense, deadly toxic smoke engulfs the scene. Wet trees tell a different story. For comparative purposes, the NIST fire safety engineers selected a green Scotch pine, had it cut in their presence, had an additional two inches cut from the trunk's bottom, and placed the tree in a stand with at least a 7.6 liter water capacity. The researchers maintained the Scotch pine's water on a daily basis. A single match could not ignite the tree. A second attempt in which an electric current ignited an entire matchbook failed to fire the tree. Finally they applied an open flame to the tree using a propane torch. The branches ignited briefly, but self-extinguished when the researchers removed the torch from the branches. As NIST fire safety engineers say: REMEMBER, A WET TREE IS A SAFE TREE! Related:

Topical Fire Research Series: Christmas/Christmas Tree Fires (PDF)