The Real Fire Risks of Leaving Christmas Tree Lights On While You Sleep

In the United States, people start thinking about putting up the Christmas tree as soon as the Thanksgiving weekend is over (which is a month before Christmas actually arrives), and many folks leave it up until well after New Year’s Day. Christmas lights are particularly striking at night, so it’s tempting to leave them on at bedtime to preserve the festive atmosphere. My family used to do this when I was a kid, and in those days, the only lights available were incandescent bulbs, which generate far more heat than LEDs.

I checked in with home and fire safety experts to determine how safe this practice actually is, and if my parents knew what I learned, they probably would have unplugged the lights every night. This post explains why and offers some other tips to keep you and your family safe during the holiday season.

Are Christmas Tree Lights A Fire Safety Risk?

All the experts I interviewed agreed that, left unattended, Christmas tree lights pose a fire risk. Yamen Mahfoud, a sales director for a Los Angeles lighting company, was unequivocal: “NEVER leave Christmas tree lights on overnight or when away from home because even LED lights can develop electrical faults that create fire hazards when unattended.”

The problem isn’t just the lights themselves, but also the sockets and the wiring, warns urban disaster planner Daniel Kilburn. “A small spark, which occurs when no one is present to detect it, will develop into a destructive fire.”

When To Get Rid of Old Lights

It’s time to get rid of old Christmas lights if any of these things are true:

• You see frayed wires. These are often visible below the light sockets, but they could also be near the plugs or even along a length of wire that has been damaged by age or house pets.
• Bulbs are loose, cracked or flickering. If they still light up, damaged bulbs generate more heat than intact ones. You can usually replace bulbs, but if several are damaged, it’s safer to discard the set and buy a new one than it is to replace bulbs and risk missing one.
• Plugs or cords are unusually warm. This indicates faulty circuitry.
• You see melting plastic on the plugs or sockets.
• The string is so old it doesn’t have a safety certification label.

How To Inspect Christmas Lights

Always unplug Christmas lights before inspection and lay the string straight on a flat surface. Look for frayed or exposed wires, melting sockets or plugs and cracked or brittle insulation. Check all the bulbs to make sure they are fully seated in the sockets.

Now plug in the lights, watch for flickering bulbs or sections that stay dark, and listen for crackling or buzzing sounds. A new set of bulbs isn’t that expensive, so it’s safer to discard the set if anything seems off than it is to take a chance on using it.

• Pro tip: If the string seems intact and doesn’t light up when you plug it in, the plug may have a blown fuse. You can usually access it by pulling the prongs away from the body of the plug. Replace the fuse, and if it blows again, discard the string.

Flammability Differences Between Real and Artificial Trees

A real tree sitting in a bucket of water for no more than three weeks generally isn’t that flammable, advises plumbing, HVAC and electrical expert Megan Doser, but once the tree dries out and the needles turn brownish and start falling, it becomes one of the most flammable things in the house. “You can actually compare it to gasoline in the way it ignites,” she says. As remodeler Dotan Trabulsi puts it, it can go up in an explosive whoosh. Considering that many households keep their tree up for four weeks or more, a real tree becomes increasingly hazardous as the New Year approaches, especially if you don’t water it.

Some artificial trees are fire-resistant, but they aren’t fireproof. According to Kilburn, the fire-retardant material does not provide complete protection against flames. “The synthetic materials they are made with produce dangerous, toxic smoke during combustion.”

Why LEDs are Safer

LEDs generate less heat than incandescent bulbs, but that isn’t the only reason they are safer, according to Doser. “They don’t draw enough electricity to overload outlets, and the way they are designed doesn’t allow the string’s wiring to short-circuit or burn out in a chain.”

Using a Light Timer

This is a great idea, says Kilburn, especially if you tend to forget to turn off the Christmas lights before going to bed. “The automatic shutdown of lights prevents you from depending on your memory,” he says.

Doser is less enthusiastic about timers: “A timer is more about reducing electricity use than reducing fire risk — LED Christmas lights already have such a low fire risk that a timer doesn’t meaningfully change safety.” Low risk doesn’t mean no risk, however, so you’ll probably sleep more soundly if you get a timer.

Christmas Fire Safety Tips

Here are some other safety tips to help protect you and your family during the holidays:

• If you have a real tree, water it daily.
• Maintain a safe distance (at least three feet) between the tree and heat sources like space heaters, floor vents, fireplaces and candles, says Kilburn.
• Don’t overload outlets or string together extension cords. Make sure extension cords are rated for the loads they carry.
• Test your smoke detectors to make sure they are working, advises insurance expert Courtney Klosterman.

FAQ

Do Christmas tree fires happen often?

Fire departments in the United States recorded 155 home fires caused by Christmas trees from 2018 to 2022. Overall, that isn’t very many — about 38 times fewer than the number of fires caused by candles — but the fires tended to be very serious, causing four deaths, seven injuries and $15 million in property damages each year on average. Fires involving real trees were more common than those involving artificial ones.

Is it dangerous to plug multiple light strings together?

It can be dangerous — and wasteful — to plug together multiple strings of Christmas lights if you use too many. Long strings consume extra power, and they increase the risk of overheating and fires. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the maximum number of strings you can include in a single chain.

About the Experts

• Yamen Mahfoud serves as Sales and Marketing Director at Bees Lighting, a BBB Accredited Business with over 20 years of experience serving residential and commercial lighting markets from their Los Angeles headquarters.
• Daniel Kilburn is an urban disaster planning expert with over 30 years of experience. He is a speaker and coach on the topics of Communications, Leadership, Disaster, and Financial Planning. He teaches live in-person and online events at Emergency Action Planning.
• Megan Doser is the owner of Doctor Fix-It Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, a family-founded company serving the Denver area since 1978.
• Dotan Trabulsi is a Civil Engineer-turned-CEO who brings a unique technical foundation to the home remodeling industry. He is the Founder of Optimal Home Remodeling & Design.
• Courtney Klosterman is a Home Insights Expert at Hippo, a home insurance group focused on proactive protection based in San Jose, CA.

Source

• National Fire Protection Association: How to Help Prevent Home Christmas Tree Fires; (2024)