West Caldwell Fire Prevention Shares Holiday Safety Tips (VIDEO)

CALDWELLS, NJ — Festive celebrations, flickering lights and winter greens. They’re the hallmarks of a happy holiday season. But they can also present fire risks that can quickly turn this festive time of year into a devastating one, according to the West Caldwell Fire Prevention Bureau.

The bureau recently shared some safety tips and facts from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in an effort to educate the public about potential fire risks during the holidays. See more info here.

• Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in two out of every five (40%) home Christmas tree fires.
• More than one-third (37%) of home Christmas tree fires started in the living room, family room, or den. All of the fatalities and roughly three-quarters (72%) of the injuries resulted from fires started in this area.
• The top three days for home candle fires were Christmas, New Year’s Day and New Year's Eve.

Carefully decorating your home can help make your holidays safer, the NFPA states. Between 2009-2014, 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.

Christmas trees are combustible items that become increasing flammable as they continue to dry out in your home. Nearly 40 percent of home fires that begin with Christmas trees occur in January. Although Christmas tree fires are not common, when they do occur they’re much more likely to be serious.

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Photo: YouTube / NFPA