Can Christmas Lights Start A Fire

Published on August 26th, 2022

Christmas lights can start a fire. However, you can do a few things to minimize the risk.

You first need to know that Christmas lights aren't dangerous in themselves. The danger comes from their environment — heat sources and flammable materials.



Christmas lights are long strings of tiny light bulbs (or LED lights) strung together on a wire. The wires are often made of plastic or metal, but they don't pose much fire risk unless they're hot. Even then, if you ensure the wire is excellent before plugging it into an outlet again, you shouldn't have any problems with flames.

How Many House Fires Are Caused By Christmas Lights?

The National Fire Protection Association reports that Christmas lights cause 770 house fires yearly. Many of these fires are caused by faulty electrical connections or overloaded circuits. If you have many lights, you should ensure that your extension cords are rated for the load they will carry and that they have three-pronged plugs — not two-pronged plugs — to prevent shocks and fires.

Keep an eye on your lights and ensure they aren't overheating; if they are, unplug them immediately. Don't place them near anything flammable, such as trees or bushes, and avoid using outdoor lights indoors.

If you're planning to put up outdoor decorations, make sure they're safe before doing so.

During the holidays usually there are around 770 house fires a year due to Christmas lights. The Red Cross made a factsheet on house fires during the holidays that you might want to read. A few of the different fire starters are Christmas trees, decorations, candles or cooking according to NFPA.

Is It Ok To Leave Christmas Lights On All Night?

It's that time of year again! Christmas lights are up, the tree is decorated, and you're ready for the holiday season festivities. But is it safe to leave your led Christmas lights on all night? The short answer is yes, it's safe if you follow some basic safety rules.

Christmas lights are designed to be plugged in and left on for several days. They don't produce heat or use electricity when they're not plugged into an outlet, so there's no fire danger. The only thing that could go wrong is if the lights get tangled with something else and stop working. But if that happens, unplug and untangle them before plugging them back in.

If you're going to leave your Christmas lights on overnight or for more than three days at a time, ensure an electrician or UL-approved tester has tested them before use.

Also, ensure they're connected properly; loose connections can cause sparking or arcing — which could ignite nearby combustible materials or start a fire — when electricity flows through them during use or when they're being used on temporary wirings, such as extension cords.

One faulty bulb or connection is all it takes to ruin a string of Christmas lights — and put your home at risk for fire. So check each set of lights thoroughly before putting them up, and don't hesitate to replace any that look worn or damaged.

Christmas lights don't typically catch fire due to their design or construction. Instead, people leave them on too long and allow them to overheat. The longer you have your Christmas lights on, the greater the chance they'll overheat and potentially start a fire in your home.



When Christmas red lights get hot enough, they can cause damage to themselves and surrounding items in two ways:

They can melt the insulation on power cords, which then causes short circuits inside the cord. These short circuits ultimately lead to overheating and smoke coming from the cord itself.

The heat generated by the wires causes nearby objects (like furniture) to ignite due to thermal transfer — essentially transferring heat from one thing (the wire) to another (the table).

Yes, Christmas lights set the wood on fire. Most Christmas tree fires occur when decorations near heat sources, such as candles and fireplaces, or when live trees are placed too close to heat sources.

Christmas tree lights fire is preventable if you follow these safety tips:

• Don't overload electrical outlets with too many strings of lights or other electric items.

• Keep candles away from your tree and other decorations.

• Don't burn candles near anything flammable, including pets and children. If you use candles on or around your tree, keep them low to the ground, so they don't tip over and start a fire.

• Place the tree away from any heat source, including radiators, vents, and fireplaces.

No. Outdoor Christmas lights are beautiful holiday decorations but can also be a fire hazard.

Christmas lights can start fires if they're left on overnight or if they're not installed correctly.

Christmas lights were involved in more than 300 house fires from 2007 to 2011, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). Most of these fires were caused by people leaving them on overnight and not following the manufacturer's instructions for installation and usage.

Most Christmas light fires are caused by short circuits or overloading electrical circuits with too many lights, according to USFA statistics. Short circuits occur when two wires touch each other and create an unintended electrical current. If you have a short circuit, some lights may go dim or out completely while others continue to function normally until they burn out from overheating or overloading the circuit.

Other Things That Cause Fires

• Fans
• Dryers
• Plugin Air Fresheners
• Mice
• Toasters
• Christmas Lights
• Furnaces

• Squirrels
• Smart Meters
• Space Heaters
• Crock Pots
• Lightning
• Fireworks
• Gas Fireplaces

• Electric Blankets
• Solar Panels
• Cigarettes'
• Batteries
• LED Lights
• Candles