The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges families to water their real Christmas tree this holiday season to help prevent fires.
“A dry Christmas tree can burn faster than newspaper,” they said on social media. “Always water your tree.”
CPSC also recommends when buying an artificial tree to look for the “Fire Resistant” label.
Holiday statistics, according to CPSC:
- On average, there are about 200 decorating-related injuries each day during the holiday season, with about half of the incidents involving falls. And in the 2018 holiday season, about 17,500 people were treated in emergency rooms due to holiday decorating-related injuries.
- In the 2019 holiday season, there were six deaths associated with holiday season decorations.
- From 2015 to ’17, on average, there were about 100 Christmas tree fires and about 1,100 candle fires (in November and December), resulting in 20 deaths, 160 injuries and nearly $50 million in property damage each year.
Holiday safety tips, according to CPSC:
- Make sure your live Christmas tree has plenty of water, and look for the “Fire Resistant” label when buying an artificial tree.
- Place burning candles in sight, away from flammable items, and blow them out before leaving the room.
- Only use lights tested for safety by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. Throw out sets with broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections.
SOURCE cpsc.gov
