Your cat lets you know he's delighted you've finally bought some great toys! Keep pets and children at least three feet away from burning candles and electrical cords to prevent burns and electrical fires. That ever-growing pile of fallen pine needles on the living room floor is receiving more comments than the decorations for your Christmas tree. A dry tree in your home is a fire danger. Think of it as a huge pile of kindling in your home. Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched. You've spent more time trying to free yourself out of the tangled lights than actually decorating the tree. Check the manufacturer's instructions to find out how many lights can be connected to prevent electric shock and fire. You know it's bad to put flammable material near a fire, but you can't help yourself. These stockings just look so darn cute and festive! Keep anything that can burn away from a heat source, despite how awesome it looks. Flameless candles are also a great alternative to real ones when decorating. Your house is a holiday tourist attraction and you couldn't be prouder. An overloaded electrical outlet is a major fire hazard. Plug strings of lights directly into the wall and keep the number to a minimum. Some of the bulbs on your string of lights have already taken time off for the holidays. Replace any string of lights that has worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. These can easily start a fire. You've remembered to keep yourself well hydrated, but the same can't be said for your Christmas tree. Always keep water in the tree stand. Check daily and add water as needed. Dried-out trees are a major fire hazard. You're convinced those strings of Christmas lights make the perfect hat to complement your holiday outfit. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. And most certainly, not for your head. You've been a bit lazy about taking down your Christmas tree so you got creative and came up with a new tradition: a Valentine's Day tree! Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside against the home. Check with your local community to find a recycling program. Let's face it, the holidays are never perfect, no matter how they're portrayed in magazines and on television. But by following a few simple practices and precautions, you can create a perfectly fire-safe holiday for you and your loved ones! And remember, have working smoke alarms in your home and create a home escape plan. Practice it with your family so everyone knows what to do if a fire does occur. Happy Holidays from NFPA!

The devastating damage Christmas tree fires can inflict on people and property – and just how quickly it can happen - were vividly demonstrated during a live burn event on Monday at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) research lab in Rockville, MD. The footage (above) underscores just how fast a dried out Christmas tree burns, with flashover occurring in about 30 seconds, while a well-watered tree burns at a far slower rate.National news outlets covered the event, including The Today Show, CNN, FOX News, NBC, Univision and ABC News. Watch the ABC News featuring NFPA President Jim Pauley, who addressed the potential risks posed by Christmas tree and candle fires, while reminding everyone about the life-saving value of working smoke alarms in the home and a having a home fire escape plan.Of course, the goal of the burn event isn't to scare people away from enjoying the holidays. It's to remind everyone about the importance of taking simple safety precautions that can ensure a festive and fire-safe season.For a wealth of information, videos, tip sheets and other resources addressing the safe use of Christmas trees, candles and other holiday decorations, visit www.nfpa.org/winterholidaysafety.

Recent media coverage and new Underwriters Laboratories (UL) research has brought to the forefront again the issue of whether fire and life safety educators should be saying people should sleep with bedroom doors shut to be safer from fire. NFPA's Educational Messages Advisory Committee (EMAC) has reviewed the issue in the past and determined that if residents sleep with bedroom doors closed, it is important that they have interconnected smoke alarms. EMAC will meet March 30-31 at NFPA headquarters in Quincy, MA and is slated to discuss the topic again. And whether or not sleeping with the bedroom door closed should be added to EMAC messaging. EMAC will review new UL research documents, media clips, and other documentation submitted before making a determination on NFPA's official position. NFPA is accepting comments for revision to the EMAC document through February 26, 2016. UL research shows how a closed door can keep smoke out of a bedroom longer as well as change the flow of heat and toxic gases, acting as a shield for someone trapped and unable to get out of a fire. NFPA stresses the importance of having a working smoke alarm inside each bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds they all sound. Read the full story and watch the videos of each of the UL tests for more information.

Due to the extreme conditions in some areas such as low humidity in the vegetation, extended periods of drought, high temperatures and high winds, extreme caution should be paramount in everyday activities out of doors.  Driving a car is one of the activities we all enjoy during the summer season, especially as we travel for summer vacation time.  Make sure that your road trip is not the cause of a wildfire.  The Arizona Department of Transportation shared some tips: Avoid driving or parking your vehicle in tall grass. (Or any tall dry vegetation) Never throw a burning cigarette out of a vehicle. When pulling a trailer, attach safety chains securely; loose chains can drag on the pavement and cause sparks, igniting roadside fires. Look behind you before driving away from fire-sensitive locations, such as areas with tall grass or campsites, to check for signs of a developing fire. Observe “Red Flag” fire-weather warnings. These warnings are issued when weather conditions are conducive to the easy start and rapid spread of wildfires. Always use a spark arrestor on internal-combustion engines. You can also: Follow all public-use restrictions and access closures – It is important to check with local agencies about any closures before venturing off road. Be prepared – Carry a shovel and a fire extinguisher in your vehicle and OHV. Call 911 immediately if you see a roadside fire and give an accurate description of the size and location of the fire including mile marker information, the side of the road (are you traveling east, west etc.), the last exit you passed or nearest landmark. Car Fires themselves can be a cause of wildfires.  A June 14th 2015 article in the Boise Weekly, Car Fire Sparks Wildfire Near Jump Creek, shared that; "Firefighters say a car fire—the third in one week—sparked a wildfire that has scorched more than 330 acres, eight miles south of Marsing."  Another article dated June 19th 2015 on the KCRA.com website, Roadside Truck Fire Sparks Wildfire Near Oakhurst, talked about a pickup truck that caused a fire near Oakhurst, California that burnt hundreds of acres.  Many times simple maintenance items overlooked can cause your car to catch fire.  The NFPA has some interesting statistics on car fires: U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 152,300 automobile fires per year in 2006-2010. These fires caused an average of 209 civilian deaths, 764 civilian injuries, and $536 million in direct property damage. Facts and Figures Automobile fires were involved in 10% of reported U.S. fires, 6% of U.S. fire deaths. On average, 17 automobile fires were reported per hour. These fires killed an average of four people every week. Mechanical or electrical failures or malfunctions were factors in roughly two-thirds of the automobile fires. Collisions and overturns were factors in only 4% of highway vehicle fires, but these incidents accounted for three of every five (60%) automobile fire deaths. Only 2% of automobile fires began in fuel tanks or fuel lines, but these incidents caused 15% of the automobile fire death. You can take simple steps to prevent a car fire: For more information about car fire safety download the NFPA's car fire safety pdf.  Enjoy your road trip wherever your travel plans take you and have a safe and memorable time.

Sky lanterns have become increasingly popular as a way to celebrate. But they pose a serious fire hazard and their use is prohibited by NFPA. Thousands of spectators who attended a lantern festival recently in Gastonia, North Carolina, got to see the dangers of sky lanterns up close. According to Time Warner News Cable–Charlotte, as the sun set on the Carolina Speedway, thousands of lanterns filled the sky. But then the wind shifted, pushing burning lanterns into a nearby cell tower, causing it to catch on fire. The Union Road Volunteer Fire Department was already on hand in case of emergency, but the ladder truck couldn't reach the fire, there were no hydrants nearby, and it wasn't the kind of fire the department had fought before. It took 20 firefighters, nearly 6,000 gallons of water, and help from a neighboring department to put the fire out. No one was injured. NFPA's Sky Lanterns Safety tips sheet provides information on the hazards of sky lanterns and details on recent fires involving them.

When the first day of spring arrives on March 20, many of us will turn our attention to that annual rite of passage–spring cleaning. As we decide which home cleaning projects to tackle in what order, let's add fire safety to the checklist. Take a few minutes to read through NFPA's tips on taking care of your smoke alarms, tips sheet on 9-volt battery safety and the clothes dryer safety tips sheet. Have Sparky the Fire Dog® get the kids involved with the "Cool to do"  Spring Safety Hunt activity.