Make a List & Check It Twice for Safety: Tips to Avoid Holiday Mishaps

From State Farm

From short-circuiting holiday lights to chestnuts roasting too closely to an open fire, the holiday season brings some holiday risks and a reminder from State Farm® to make a holiday safety list and check it twice.

Tips to avoid/combat holiday mishaps

Cooking fires: Happening more often than you think, holiday hosts can become overwhelmed and distracted while cooking or baking. From 2023 to 2024, State Farm paid nearly $234 million for indoor and outdoor cooking fire losses. While Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are the #2 and #3 days for peak cooking fires. The average loss was over $73,000.

Candle fires: It’s important to burn candles in short increments and keep them away from kids, pets, and holiday decorations. During the five-year period of 2020 to 2024, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), U.S. fire departments responded to an annual estimated average of 5,894 home structure fires whose heat source was candles. These fires cause an annual average of 63 civilian deaths and 532 civilian injuries, as well as $286 million in property damage. Candles were the second leading heat source for fires originating in bedrooms, and the seventh leading heat source in fires originating in living rooms, as well as the sixth leading heat source in all home structure fires that resulted in civilian injuries.

Christmas tree fires: According to NFPA, from 2016 to 2020, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 160 home¹ structure fires per year that began with the ignition of Christmas trees. These fires caused an annual average of two civilian deaths, 11 civilian injuries, and $12 million in direct property damage. Three-quarters of the Christmas tree fires occurred in December or January. The longer a natural tree is kept up after Christmas, the more likely it is to dry out and ignite. Some January fires may have occurred after the tree was taken down.

Holiday lights and electrical fires: Fire departments responded to an estimated average of 46,700 home fires involving electrical failure or malfunction each year from 2015 to 2019. Home fires involving electrical failure or malfunction caused an estimated average of 390 deaths and 1,330 injuries each year, as well as an estimated $1.5 billion in direct property damage. Make sure you don’t leave lights on trees or on other decorations when you go to bed or leave the house. They could short and start a fire. If you’re planning to decorate outdoors, make sure that you use lights and decorations intended for outdoor use. Through an opportunity with State Farm, Ting can help protect your family from electrical fires.

When the pet bites: While family and friends flood your home for the holidays, the increased noise levels and new faces can scare your pets, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and scared. U.S. insurers paid out $1.57 billion in dog-related injury claims in 2024, according to the Insurance Information Institute and State Farm. Placing pets in a quiet room away from guests can help reduce anxiety and the risk of animals biting out of fear. Pet medical insurance can also help pay for emergencies, like when your dog eats an entire turkey or the cat chews on holiday lights. You can protect yourself and your furry family member with Trupanion® pet medical insurance.

Car burglary and theft: While the holiday season can be full of excitement and great shopping deals, it’s also the time of year when shopping center parking lots can be full of hazards. During the holidays, parking lots can become magnets for thieves. They target vehicles to steal, or to steal from, looking for visible shopping bags and other valuables.

Parking lot collisions: According to the National Safety Council (NSC), about 17% of all motor vehicle crashes occur in parking lots or parking garages. Many involve a driver backing out without checking for pedestrians. These spaces may seem safe, but low-speed collisions in lots still cause injuries — especially to people on foot.

Chimney fire: Most chimney fires are caused by a dirty chimney. Remember to remove the soot from your chimney periodically to prevent chimney fires.

Liability: There are several ways to be injured around the house during the holiday season. Personal injury claims may be filed during the holidays, as guests can become injured at a celebration. Make sure to be aware of your surroundings and clean up messes as they happen to avoid accidents. Be courteous by shoveling the sidewalks and deicing the walkways.

Being aware of these holiday safety tips can have a big impact in helping to keep your home safe and cozy while decorating and enjoying the holiday season. Be a Good Neighbor, practice safety, and share awareness.