Advisory: Philadelphia Fire Department to Hold Annual Holiday Fire Safety and Tree-tagging Demonstration

What: The Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) will demonstrate how to choose, care for and dispose of natural-cut Christmas trees. They are permitted in one- and two-family homes in Philadelphia.

New this year, with support from our partners from the National Fire Sprinkler Association, PFD members will hold a side-by-side burn demo to show just how quickly fire can spread.

Who:

• Jeffrey Thompson, Commissioner, Philadelphia Fire Department
• Gene Janda, Fire & Emergency Services Chief, UPenn
• Keith Warren, Deputy Commissioner, Streets Department
• Representatives from the National Fire Sprinkler Association
• Members of the Philadelphia Fire Department's Fire Prevention and Code Division

When: TOMORROW, Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 11:00 a.m.

Where: Philadelphia Fire Academy, 5200 Pennypack St., Philadelphia, PA, 19136

Visuals:

• PFD members will show how to properly cut and display your Christmas tree, how to keep it watered, and best practices for care.
• A side-by-side burn demonstration to show how quick fire spreads.
• Interviews with PFD officials available.

Data & resources:

• Holiday Fire Safety from the National Fire Protection Association
  • U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 832 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees. These fires caused an annual average of 3 civilian fire deaths, 28 civilian fire injuries and $17 million in direct property damage.
  • Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in more than two in five home Christmas tree fires.
  • Nearly one in four Christmas tree fires were started by lamps or bulbs. Twelve percent were started by candles.
  • Roughly two of every five home Christmas tree fires started in the living room.
  • Candle fires peak in December and January with twelve percent of candle fires occurring in December and ten percent of candle fires occurring in January.

Year round, one-third of home decoration fires were started by candles. This jumped to half in December when candles started fifty percent of such fires. Cooking started one-fifth of decoration