‘Being careful’: Fire up the holiday spirit without igniting your decorations

Garrison Keillor of NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion” was on to something when he rewrote the Christmas classic “O Christmas Tree” to include “…and if you were to fall on us, we would become unconscious.” It may have been comedy at the time, but as it turns out, holiday decoration safety is something that all homeowners should be aware of, and that many neglect. 

In a study done from 2009-13 by the National Fire Protection Association, Christmas decorations, excluding the actual trees, were the first objects to ignite in an average of 860 home structure fires per year. Those decoration-fed fires also left an average of more than $13 million in property damages each year. 

“Basically, two out of every five home decoration fires are started by candles,” said Mountain Brook Fire Marshal Leland Rhudy. That means that one of the most popular holiday decorations, whether they sit in a window, on a table, or atop a mantel, pose a huge risk to homes and families. But the other alternative — lights — aren’t foolproof either. 

“A lot of people will put indoor lights outside, so know the difference,” Rhudy said. “Outdoor lighting is going to be made more to withstand weather. Indoor lighting, the material won’t be as durable.” 

To avoid any unfortunate situations, Rhudy said to carefully read the packaging, setup instructions and warranty information of any decorative lighting.

“Make sure you have the correct power requirements,” he said. “Another thing is be careful and know the limitation of how many strands you can put together.”

Double-check anything placed near a fire, Rhudy said.

“Anything over a mantel, we like that to be secure, because if someone were to bump into that, and it were to fall, obviously it could be a fire hazard,” he said.

According to Rhudy’s recommendations, anything that is in the same room as an active fireplace, such as Christmas trees, should be placed at least 3 feet from fireplaces to avoid accidents. 

Trees do not cause as many incidents as their decorative counterparts, but in the same NFPA study, they contributed to an average of more than 200 house fires and more than $17 million in property damage each year. To avoid any accidents, children and pets shouldn’t be left in a room alone with any tree. 

“I know it’s hard to do, I realize that, but we like to keep people at least 3 feet from the trees for safety reasons,” Rhudy said. Live trees need to be watered daily to prevent them from drying out and should be anchored properly for stability. 

Finally, because holiday parties are common, Rhudy said everyone should have a plan of action in case of emergency.

“Everyone’s having parties and that’s one of our biggest concerns,” he said. “I’m real big on homeowners wanting to let people know that if something were to happen, this is what we’ll do.”

All in all, Rhudy wants people to enjoy the holidays but to not forget about being safe. Always double-check lighting electrical requirements and turn off lights and blow out candles when leaving a room. 

“Christmas here is jaw-dropping, which is why I hate to say, ‘Turn them off,’” he said. “But the biggest thing is just people being careful.”

Holiday Hazards

Mountain Brook Fire Marshal Leland Rhudy said it’s important to stay alert when there are a heightened number of potential hazards. Things to stay mindful of:

► Check smoke alarms ahead of setting up decorations

► Service your chimney or fireplace

► Carefully read packaging and instructions for decorative lighting

► Do not leave lit candles unattended

► Keep your live Christmas trees well-watered

► Do not overstress electrical outlets