DECATUR - Holiday decorations featuring fresh Christmas trees, sparkling lights and brightly colored candles bring a festive air to thousands of homes at this time of year, but they also can bring disaster.

"December is the month for the highest number of fires nationally involving candles," said Lyle Meador, Decatur fire marshal. "And Christmas day is the day with the highest incidence of such fires."

There is a potential double whammy this month as holiday decorations increase the potential for house fires and the winter heating season arrives in earnest with long-unused fireplaces and space heaters pressed into service.

The National Fire Protection Association's most recent statistics show that in 2004, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 59,000 home structure fires nationwide, resulting in 330 deaths, 1,250 injuries and $540 million in direct property damage.

Portable and fixed space heaters, including wood stoves, were involved in 25 percent of home heating fires but caused 74 percent of deaths, according to the fire association.

"We like to say space heaters need space," Meador said. "There should be a three-foot clear area around them. You also should turn them off before going to bed. We've had spreads get kicked off or fall off a bed during the night and become ignited by a space heater."

Space heaters need to be in a well-ventilated area, Meador said, and every home should have a carbon monoxide detector, which became state law as of Jan. 1, he said.

Also, ovens should not be used to heat homes because they were not designed for that purpose and can cause fires, Meador said.

Keeping fresh evergreen trees properly watered is vital, Meador said. A dry tree can become engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds, while a properly watered tree is difficult to ignite, though over time even those trees begin to dry, he said.

"People need to dispose of fresh trees after about four weeks," Meador said. "So, if you get your tree right after Thanksgiving, you should be disposing of it the week after Christmas."

"If you're going to use candles in decorating, please keep them away from things that will burn, and don't place them where children or animals may knock them over," Meador said.

Ron Ingram can be reached at ringram@ herald-review.com or 421-7973.