As you deck your halls this holiday season, make sure to keep fire safety in mind. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), home candle and decoration fires peak in December. Nearly half of all holiday decoration fires occur because the decorations are placed too close to a heat source, with two out of every five home decoration fires started by candles.

Each year, 2,000 workers are admitted to burn centers for extended injury treatment caused by arc flash. Arc flash is an electric current that is passed through the air when insulation or isolation between electrified conductors is not sufficient to withstand the applied voltage. The flash is immediate, but the results can cause severe injury.

Cooking is, and has long been, the leading cause of home structure fires and home fire injuries, and according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), home cooking fires peak on major U.S. holidays that traditionally include cooking such as Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Easter. 

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has joined the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, and Common Voices in commending burn survivor Pamela Elliott, R.N., B.S.N. for her pointed op-ed on the necessity of home fire sprinklers. 

In an effort to help improve cooking safety, the Fire Protection Research Foundation (Foundation), an affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), has released a report to help establish future standard test protocols for new and emerging technologies designed to prevent cooking fires. Currently, no such standards exist.

With the fall school semester around the corner, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reminds students to be mindful of fire safety. September and October are peak months for fires in college housing, according to NFPA research, and the Center for Campus Safety has marked September as Campus Fire Safety Month.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is offering an online, interactive quiz for members of the public looking to test their fire safety smarts. The quiz reinforces the messages behind NFPA’s annual awareness campaign, Fire Prevention Week, and its 2014 theme, “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives:  Test Yours Every Month!”

 The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported a total of 97 on-duty firefighter deaths in 2013, reflecting a sharp increase over the past few years. According to NFPA’s 2013 U.S. Firefighter Fatalities report, last year’s increase is largely attributed to the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona and the West, Texas fertilizer fire that together claimed the lives of 28 firefighters. 

In recent weeks, a number of communities across San Diego County in southern California have been affected by extensive wildfire activity that has scorched more than 9,000 acres and burned at least 30 homes, according to news reports. In some areas, thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate their homes.

In addition to Building Safety Month, May is National Electrical Safety Month – an issue closely related to building safety. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is kicking off its annual effort to raise awareness of potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety.