Home Owners Should be Fire Safe with Holiday Decorations

Safety
Published

Everyone loves decorating their homes around the holidays. But Christmas trees, lights, candles and many other festive decorations can pose a fire risk if not installed with care.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is reminding everyone to be safe during the holidays and consider the fire impact of decorations. Its tips for a safe, festive home include:

  • Water your live Christmas tree every day. A dry tree is a fire hazard. Trees too close to a heat source cause one in every four winter fires.
  • Make sure you are using the right lights. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
  • Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections.
  • Choose holiday decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
  • Keep lit candles away from decorations and things that can burn. More than one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles. Consider using flameless candles: they look very similar and are safer.
  • Blow out lit candles and turn off all light strings and decorations when leaving the room or going to bed.
  • Make sure your decorations don’t block windows and doors.

Stay safe this holiday season and protect your home and family from preventable accidents. Happy Holidays!

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Advocacy

May 20, 2026

House Approves Revised Housing Bill in Major Win for NAHB

In a significant victory for NAHB and the broader housing sector, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act that removes a build-to-rent (BTR) sales provision that would have hurt affordability and reduced much-needed housing supply.

Advocacy

May 20, 2026

NAHB Applauds House Passage of Landmark Housing Bill

NAHB Chairman Bill Owens issued the following statement after the House approved major housing legislation today.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

May 20, 2026

What It Takes to Leave Parental Home

As of 2024, one in five adults aged 25-34 lives with parents or in-laws. NAHB’s analysis of the latest American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) evaluates a wide range of socioeconomic and demographic factors that shape young adults’ path to independence.

Economics

May 19, 2026

Who Drives Remodeling Spending?

Residential remodeling is an important and growing sector of the housing market, particularly as elevated mortgage rates and limited housing inventory encourage many homeowners to improve their existing homes rather than move.

Economics

May 18, 2026

Builder Sentiment Posts Gain in May but Significant Affordability Challenges Persist

Builder confidence posted a modest gain in May even as buyers grapple with rising mortgage rates and economic uncertainty while builders continue to contend with elevated land, labor and construction costs.