“There is no place like home for the holidays and a few simple steps will keep your home safe for your family and guests for this holiday season.” State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said, "When we gather for the holidays, we usually gather around the table for a meal. Cooking is the leading cause of home fires throughout the year, and causes about one-half of fires during the holiday season, for more of the story click here  . |  |
Links to additional holiday safety Information: During the 2007-2008-winter holiday season there were 1,624 residential structure fires with 9 civilian deaths, 43 civilian injuries, 65 fire service injuries & $28.2 million loss. Christmas Day had the second most residential fires of any day during the past 5 years (2003 – 2007); Christmas Eve had the ninth most. The 2007-2008-holiday season had 4 Christmas tree fires; 3 were in homes. 1 was outside.  | On December 12, 2007, at 1:44 p.m., the Arlington Fire Department was called to a holiday decoration fire in a two-family home. The plastic decoration was too close to the gas stove and it ignited. No one was injured at this fire. Smoke detectors were not present. The home was not sprinklered. The total estimated dollar loss was $500. |
12 residential fires were a result of holiday decorations being ignited. Operation Decoration - Underwriter’s Laboratory, one of several national testing agencies for consumer products, has helpful information for consumers on how to prevent fires and electric shock and other injuries during the holiday season. Christmas Eve had the most residential candle fires of any day during the year. On December 24, 2007, at 12:33 p.m., the Swansea Fire Department was called to a candle fire in a single-family home. A candle in an Advent wreath ignited one of the holiday decorations. Smoke detectors were present and alerted the residents. No one was injured in the fire. The home was not sprinklered. No estimation was made as to the damages from this fire. 
Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. and account for 51% of all holiday fires in Massachusetts. When cooking forholiday visitors, remember to keep an eye on the range! Turkey Fryer safety Learn about Cooking Fire Safety Holiday Decorating and Lighting Tips - Use caution with holiday decorations and whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible materials.
- Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees. Click here to see video on Christmas tree safety from the U.S. Fire Administration:
- Purchase only lights and electrical decorations bearing the name of an independent testing lab, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation and maintenance.
- Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. Do not overload extension cords.
- Check your strands of lights to determine the number of strands that may be connected. Connect no more than three strands of push-in bulbs and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.
- Always unplug lights before replacing light bulbs or fuses.
- Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insulation (i.e., using clips, not nails).
Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations. UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES' "OPERATION DECORATION" ILLUSTRATES CONSUMER HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS 
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