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Christmas Tree and Candle Safety Tips

Loyola University Health System is providing these tips on Christmas trees and candles from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) as a public service.

Christmas Tree Fires

Decorate Christmas trees carefully to help make your holidays safer.

Safety Tips

• Never use lit candles to decorate a tree, and place them far from tree branches.
• Do not purchase a tree that is dry or dropping needles.
• Give live trees plenty of water daily to keep them as moist as possible.
• When purchasing an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled as fire-retardant.
• Choose a sturdy tree stand designed not to tip over.
• When decorating Christmas trees, always use safe tree lights. (Some lights are designed only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.) Larger tree lights should also have some type of reflector rather than a bare bulb and all lights should be listed by a testing laboratory.
• Never use electric lights on a metal tree.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to use tree lights. Any string of lights with worn, frayed or broken cords or loose bulb connections should not be used.
• Children are fascinated with Christmas trees. Keep a watchful eye on them when around the tree and do not let them play with the wiring or lights.
• Make sure the tree is at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from any heat source.
• Position the tree near an outlet so that cords are not running long distances.
• Do not place the tree where it may block exits.
• Always unplug Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to sleep.
• Safely dispose of the tree when it begins dropping needles.
• Dried-out trees are highly flammable and should not be left in a house or garage, or placed against the house.

Candle Safety

Remember that a candle is an open flame. It can easily ignite anything combustible nearby.

Safety Tips

• Place candleholders on a sturdy, uncluttered surface.
• Do not use candles in places where they could be knocked over by children or pets.
• Avoid placing lit candles in windows, where blinds and curtains could close over them.
• Use candleholders that are sturdy, steady, made from a material that cannot burn and large enough to collect dripping wax.
• Keep candles away from items that can catch fire (e.g. clothing, books, paper, curtains, Christmas trees, flammable decorations).
• Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.
• Keep candles and all open flames away from flammable liquids.
• Keep candlewicks trimmed to one-quarter inch.
• Votives and containers should be extinguished before the last half-inch of wax starts to melt.
• Avoid candles with combustible items embedded in them
• Extinguish taper and pillar candles when they get to within two inches of the holder or decorative material.

Candles and children

• Keep candles up high out of reach of children.
• Never leave a child unattended in a room with a candle. A child should not sleep in a room with a lit candle.
• Do not allow children or teens to have candles in their bedrooms.
• Store candles, matches and lighters up high and out of children's sight and reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.

Other Tips

• Avoid carrying a lit candle during a power outage. Instead, use a flashlight.
• Do not use a lit candle when searching for items in a confined space.
• Never use a candle for a light when checking pilot lights or fueling equipment such as a kerosene heater or lantern. The flame could ignite the fumes.