NEW YORK, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- About 160 Christmas decorating-related injuries occur each day during the holiday season in the United States, according to the latest data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Nearly half of such incidents involve falls.
During the 2023 holiday season, which ran from Nov. 1, 2022, to Jan. 31, 2023, about 14,900 people were treated at hospitals for holiday decorating-related injuries, USA Today reported Tuesday, citing the CPSC.
Firefighters responded to an average of 155 home fires ignited by Christmas trees each year from 2018 to 2022, and another 835 residential structure fires sparked by decorations other than Christmas trees, according to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association.
Electrical lighting or distribution equipment was involved in 41 percent of the Christmas tree fires, the association said. Another 20 percent of the Christmas tree fires were blamed on lamps or bulbs; and 11 percent were ignited by candles.
In addition to dangers posed by Christmas trees and string lights, officials are once again issuing warning about toys. CPSC, in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, seized more than 1.5 million dangerous or illegal toys in fiscal year 2024, according to the USA Today report.
