The last few months of the year are filled with holidays. One of the ways we celebrate these holidays is by lighting candles, whether in a menorah, a pumpkin or just on a table, and decorating our houses with Christmas trees and electric lights. But these holiday celebrations also lead to an unfortunate increase in fires. From 2007 to 2011, the National Fire Protection Association reported there were an average of 10,630 fires in the United States started by candles, causing 115 deaths, 903 injuries and approximately $418 million in property damage. Not surprisingly, the top three days for fires caused by candles are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Adding to the threat of fire on Halloween is children’s costumes. They often wear costumes made out of inexpensive, flammable fabrics with loose-fitting sleeves and capes.
Holiday lights and decorative lighting can also be a fire hazard. It is estimated that 160 home fires are caused by decorative lights annually, with approximately half occurring in December and January. Electrical malfunctions are the cause of nearly one-third of all Christmas tree fires. However, fires started by electrical malfunctions are not limited to Christmas celebrations. Earlier this year, tragedy struck in Brooklyn when a hotplate used by an Orthodox Jewish family to keep food warm on the Sabbath—when Orthodox Jews observe a 24-hour moratorium on cooking—malfunctioned and started a fire that caused the death of seven children.
