Christmas tree fire safety

Tree fires are rare. They are also disproportionately deadly: by NFPA's long-run data roughly 1 in 32 Christmas tree fires kills someone, against 1 in 143 for home fires overall. A dry tree burns hot and fast; in NIST's laboratory tests a dry tree is fully engulfed in seconds, while a well-watered one resists ignition. Every rule below follows from the numbers.

The numbers (NFPA, 2020–2024 averages)

143 home fires per year started with a Christmas tree, causing 7 deaths, 13 injuries and $15 million in damage.
35% of those fires happen in January: dried-out trees kept up too long.
In NFPA's detailed breakdowns, electrical lights and wiring were involved in about 40% of tree fires, candles started 8%, and a heat source too close to the tree was a factor in 26% of fires and 80% of the deaths.

What to do about it

Water the tree every day. The single biggest factor separating a safe tree from a torch. See the care guide.
Three feet minimum between the tree and any heat source: fireplace, radiator, space heater, candles, heat vents.
Never block an exit with the tree.
Use lights carrying the label of a recognized testing laboratory. Inspect strands each year; discard anything with frayed or damaged wire. Respect the limit on how many strands connect end to end.
Turn tree lights off when leaving the house and before bed.
Keep candles 12 inches or more from anything that burns. Battery flameless candles solve the problem outright.
Take the tree down promptly after Christmas or as soon as it dries out. The January statistic exists because trees stay up too long.
Never burn the tree, or its branches, in a fireplace or wood stove.

Sources: NFPA Christmas tree fire research · US Fire Administration holiday fire safety · NIST watered vs dry tree burn test