The Christmas season is often considered the most wonderful time of the year, but it also presents a higher risk of home fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), December is one of the months with the highest number of fires in U.S. homes, with Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranking as the second and third days of the year with the most cooking-related fires, respectively, in 2024.
“Many of the activities we engage in during the holiday season reflect the leading causes of home fires, which explains why we see a steady rise in the number of fires during this time of year,” said Lorraine Carli, Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy for the NFPA.
While the kitchen contributes significantly to the greater risk of home fires during the holiday season, other contributing factors include Christmas trees in the home, the use of holiday decorations, particularly those involving candles or electric lighting, and the use of heating equipment.
The latest NFPA statistics from 2020 to 2024 highlight the factors that collectively contribute to the rise in home fires in December:
Kitchen
Cooking is one of the leading causes of fires, injuries and deaths in American homes. It is estimated that 48 percent of structural fires in homes, 35 percent of home fire injuries, and 16 percent of home fire deaths involved cooking equipment. Unattended equipment is a factor in roughly a quarter (25 percent) of cooking-related home fires and in nearly half (43 percent) of related deaths.
Heating
Heating equipment is another of the leading causes of home fires in the United States, with nearly half (46 percent) of all heating-related home fires occurring between December and February. Portable space heaters and heating stoves accounted for the largest share of heating-related fires in homes, representing almost half (47 percent) of fires, seven in ten deaths (73 percent) and seven in ten injuries (70 percent).
Holiday Decorations
Fire departments across the United States responded to an estimated 835 home fires that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees, resulting in three civilian deaths, 29 injuries, and $18 million in direct property damage. Almost half (47 percent) of these fires occurred because the decorations were too close to a heat source, such as a candle or other heat-producing equipment. Candle fires peak in December and January; 12 percent of candle fires occur in December and 10 percent in January.
Christmas Trees
Christmas tree fires do not occur very frequently, but when they do, they tend to be more severe. U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 143 home fires that started with Christmas trees, resulting in an estimated seven civilian deaths, 13 injuries, and $15 million in property damage. Almost one in four (24 percent) Christmas tree fires were caused by lamps or light bulbs. Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 40 percent of Christmas tree fires in homes.
“Understanding where potential hazards exist and taking the necessary steps to prevent them can go a long way toward ensuring a festive and safe holiday season,” Carli stated.
The NFPA offers a wealth of information and resources to help minimize the likelihood of fires caused by cooking, heating, candles, Christmas trees and decorations.
For more information, visit nfpa.org/winterholidaysafety.
