The U.S. Fire Administration has released a report on December and holiday fires occurring between 2002 and 2004. During that period, an annual average of 128,700 fires occurred during the month of December. These fires were responsible for an estimated 415 civilian fire deaths, 1,650 civilian fire injuries and $990 million in property loss.

Cooking is the leading cause of residential building fires in December, followed by heating and open flame, according to the report. Findings show cooking fires start to increase around Thanksgiving and peak in December, with Christmas Day having the most cooking fires.

In a release, USFA Acting Administrator Charlie Dickinson said, "It is a tragic realization [that] an unacceptable number of people lose their lives or are injured in holiday fires during what is supposed to be such a special time. With the onset of the holiday season, it is important to remind everyone in this nation to take extra safety precautions to prevent cooking and decoration fires in the home. By following general fire safety procedures related to cooking, candle usage, and decorations, potential fires remain preventable."

The report, which can be downloaded as a PDF file from the USFA Web site, was developed by the USFA’s National Fire Data Center as part of its Topical Fire Research Series. It is based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System.