Winter Safety Tips

NFPA provides a wealth of safety information to help ensure the holiday season is a safe one.
Winter holiday fires by the numbers

• Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 38% of home Christmas tree fires.
• One-fifth (20%) of the decoration fires started in the kitchen. One out of six (17%) started in the living room, family room or den. 
• The top three days for home candle fires were Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Christmas Eve.
• See more statistics on winter holiday fires.

Christmas tree & decoration fires
Carefully decorating your home can help make your holidays safer. Between 2009-2013, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 210 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 860 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees.
In the throes of holiday shopping and decorating? Check out the 9 Ways You’re a Holiday Decorating Disaster.

Holiday Cooking
In 2013, the three leading dates for home structure fires caused by cooking were: Thanksgiving, Christmas day and Christmas Eve.That's why it's important to know what you can do to help keep your friends and family safe while entertaining for the holidays. Also, read NFPA's latest blog post on Martha Stewart's website - 8 Simple Fire Safety Tips We all Need to Follow This Holiday Season.
For kids and families
The holidays are a time for families and friends to gather. Whether you are looking for coloring pages, activity sheets or e-cards, we have what you need to keep you fire-safe this holiday season.


For the fire service
​If you’re a member of the fire service, NFPA provides templates, talking points and other great resources to help you build a comprehensive holiday safety campaign for your community.