December is when the lights go up, the travel plans start, and living rooms fill with packages, chargers, and extension cords. It’s also one of the highest-risk months of the year for home fires.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) data show that December is among the leading months for U.S. home fires, driven by holiday decorations, candles, and heating equipment. Add in today’s growing number of lithium-ion batteries in gifts and gadgets, and the risk landscape looks very different than it did even five years ago.
This guide is all about practical steps you can take to protect both your home and your broader community this holiday season—especially from fires that start where you might not expect them.
Why Fire Risk Jumps in December
A few patterns show up over and over in the data:
- Cooking is the leading cause of home fires year-round. Federal safety data indicate that nearly 45% of home fires start in the kitchen. Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve are three of the biggest days for cooking-related fires.
- Candles spike in December. NFPA reports that December is the peak month for home candle fires, and nearly half of home decoration fires in December are caused by candles.
- Christmas trees and decorations burn fast and hot. Dry trees, overloaded light strings, and decorations too close to heaters or fireplaces are a recurring cause of severe holiday fires.
- Lithium-ion batteries are now part of the picture. Phones, e-bikes, scooters, toys, and portable power banks all rely on lithium-ion cells. UL research has shown that an e-bike battery in thermal runaway can engulf a room in flames in under 20 seconds once visible smoke appears.
The good news: a lot of these risks are preventable with a mix of everyday habits and the right tools on hand.
Step One: Lock In the Basics at Home
Before we talk about trees, candles, and batteries, start with the foundation.
1. Test your alarms
- Smoke alarms: NFPA and major manufacturers recommend having smoke alarms on every level, in every bedroom, and outside sleeping areas. Test them monthly and replace batteries at least once a year (or follow the manufacturer’s guidance for sealed 10-year units).
- Carbon monoxide (CO) alarms: Especially important if you use gas heat, fireplaces, or generators. Follow the same testing routine; replace units according to the manufacturer’s schedule (often every 5–7 years).
2. Keep exits clear
In a fire, seconds matter—especially with fast-moving lithium-ion incidents.
- Keep hallways, stairs, and doors free of clutter, boxes, and charging devices.
- Don’t store e-bikes, scooters, or large battery packs in hallways or near your primary exit paths. UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute specifically warns that battery fires can cut off escape routes very quickly.
3. Have the right extinguishers where you’ll actually use them
- In the kitchen, near the garage entry, and close to workshop areas, keep appropriately rated fire extinguishers handy—and make sure everyone in the home knows how to use them.
- For lithium-ion battery fires, you need devices that are tested and approved for that specific fire type. Conventional ABC dry-chemical units are not designed to stop thermal runaway in batteries. Fire Suppression Solutions’ TRF+ Fire Extinguisher, for example, is marketed as effective on Class A, B, and lithium-ion fires and uses a patented fluid tested as a UL-recognized component (EX28800).
- For quick-access home use, Fire Suppression Solutions also distributes the StaySafe All-in-1 portable device, which independent testing shows can tackle multiple fire types, including dangerous lithium-ion battery fires in phones, laptops, and e-scooters.
Holiday Lights, Trees, and Decorations: Stay Bright, Not Dangerous
Christmas trees
Whether your tree is real or artificial, treat it like a potential fuel source:
- Placement: Keep trees at least three feet away from fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, candles, and heat vents.
- Water real trees daily. A dry tree can ignite and flash over a room in minutes; keeping the stand full of water significantly slows drying and reduces ignition risk.
- Take it down on time. Even well-watered trees dry out after about four weeks and become increasingly flammable.
Holiday lights
- Inspect light strings every year and throw out any with cracked sockets, frayed wires, or loose connections.
- Follow manufacturer instructions for how many sets can be safely connected end-to-end—never exceed those limits.
- Avoid overloading outlets and power strips. Electrical safety groups emphasize that overloaded power strips and extension cords are a major winter fire hazard.
- Turn off indoor and outdoor lights before bed or when leaving the house.
Candles and other open flames
- December is the peak month for candle fires, and nearly half of decoration fires in December involve candles.
- If you use candles:
- Keep them at least 12 inches from anything that can burn.
- Use stable, non-tip holders and place them where children or pets cannot reach them.
- Extinguish them before leaving the room or going to sleep — no exceptions.
- Whenever possible, swap real candles for flameless, battery-powered options in windows, on trees, or near decorations. NFPA and U.S. fire agencies explicitly recommend this as the safer option.
Holiday Cooking Without the 911 Call
With guests arriving, timers going off, and kids underfoot, it’s easy for something on the stove to slip your mind.
- Stay in the kitchen when frying, broiling, or cooking on high heat. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires, and the three days with the most home cooking fires are Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve.
- Keep anything that can burn—towels, packaging, oven mitts, decorations—at least three feet away from the stove.
- If a pan catches fire, slide a lid over it and turn off the burner. Do not move the pan or throw water on grease fires.
- Have a fire-rated device within reach (such as a StaySafe All-in-1 or kitchen-rated extinguisher), and make sure adults in the house know how to use it.
Lithium-Ion Batteries: The “New” Holiday Hazard
Many of the season’s most popular gifts run on lithium-ion batteries. A recent UL Standards & Engagement survey found that consumers planned to buy rechargeable gifts like electronic toys (29%), wireless headphones (27%), small kitchen appliances (26%), personal care devices (23%), smartphones (22%), and more.
At the same time, fire departments worldwide are seeing a steep rise in battery-related fires:
- Fire services in the U.S. have reported daily incidents involving lithium-ion batteries, especially after the holidays.
- In one widely reported case just days before Christmas, a second-hand e-bike battery exploded while charging, forcing a family to escape through a roof as flames engulfed their home.
Why lithium-ion battery fires are different
- When damaged, overheated, or overcharged, lithium-ion cells can enter thermal runaway—an internal chain reaction that rapidly releases heat, flammable gases, and sometimes explosions.
- Fires can grow from first visible smoke to full-room involvement in seconds, not minutes.
- Traditional extinguishers may knock down visible flames but often can’t stop the underlying battery from reigniting.
Safer charging and storage habits
Agencies and research groups recommend a common set of precautions:
- Use only the charger that came with the device, or one approved by the manufacturer.
- Do not charge on beds, couches, or near Christmas trees, curtains, or gift wrap.
- Avoid overnight charging. Disconnect once the device is full.
- Don’t charge or store large devices (e-bikes, scooters, big power banks) in exit paths, stairwells, or children’s bedrooms.
- Watch for warning signs: swelling, strange odors, hissing or popping sounds, excessive heat, or wispy white/gray smoke. If you see these:
- Unplug the device if it’s safe to do so.
- Move people and pets away.
- If possible, move the device outdoors away from buildings (only if you can do this safely).
- Call your local fire department.
Having the right tools for battery fires
On top of good charging practices, it’s critical to have suppression tools that can actually deal with lithium-ion fires:
- At home: Devices like the StaySafe All-in-1 are tested and marketed specifically for use on lithium-ion battery fires, along with common household fire types.
- In higher-risk spaces (garages, workshops, community centers): TRF+-based extinguishers and systems are designed to cool and encapsulate lithium-ion cells, helping stop thermal runaway and reduce the risk of re-ignition.
Think Beyond Your Front Door: Community Holiday Safety
Holiday fire safety isn’t just a “home” issue. Many of the highest-risk scenarios involve shared spaces:
- Apartments and condos packed with decorations, extension cords, and shared laundry rooms.
- Community centers, churches, and schools hosting events with temporary decorations, candles, and added electrical loads.
- Recycling centers and waste facilities handling discarded batteries and devices after the holidays—sites where traditional fire systems often struggle with lithium-ion incidents.
Community leaders, facility managers, and local safety officials can:
- Review policies around battery disposal and collection (no loose lithium-ion batteries in regular trash).
- Ensure that staff know how to spot early warning signs of battery failure.
- Equip high-risk areas with TRF+-based extinguishers, Emergency Response Kits, or portable aerosol tools designed for lithium-ion fires.
A Simple December Fire Safety Checklist
Use this as a quick walk-through for your home—and share it with neighbors or local groups:
Around the house
- Test all smoke and CO alarms; replace batteries if needed.
- Confirm you have at least one fire device rated for cooking fires near the kitchen.
- Keep exits and hallways clear of boxes, decorations, and charging devices.
Holiday décor
- Place your tree at least three feet from heat sources; water real trees daily.
- Inspect and replace damaged light strands; don’t overload outlets or power strips.
- Swap real candles for flameless options wherever possible; never leave a candle unattended.
Cooking
- Stay in the kitchen when using the stovetop.
- Keep flammables away from burners and the oven.
Batteries and devices
- Use only manufacturer-approved chargers.
- Charge large devices away from exits, Christmas trees, and bedrooms.
- Replace damaged batteries and dispose of them at proper collection sites — not in household trash.
- Keep at least one device on hand that’s tested for lithium-ion battery fires (such as StaySafe All-in-1 or a TRF+ Fire Extinguisher, depending on your environment)
Bringing It All Together
December should be about gatherings, not sirens.
By combining simple prevention habits with tools specifically designed for modern fire risks — especially lithium-ion batteries — you can dramatically lower the chances of a small issue turning into a life-threatening event, both at home and in the places where your community comes together.
If you’re ready to review your home, department, or facility for lithium-ion fire risk — or want to learn more about TRF+ extinguishers, Emergency Response Kits, and portable devices like StaySafe — Fire Suppression Solutions can walk you through options that match your real-world hazards and budget.