Christmas Tree Fire Safety
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Buying a real Christmas tree is a tradition shared by millions of Americans each year. If you are one of the many who buy real trees, here are a few safety tips to remember.
When Christmas tree fires occur they often spread fast. As a result they can cause serious injuries and inflict intense damage to the home. Christmas tree fires have been the cause of over $13 million in property damage.
Dry Christmas trees are the reason for these fires. Most Christmas tree fires in the home happen due to shorts in the lights placed on the tree, or they are placed too closely to an open flame. It may look cute to place a Christmas tree next to the fireplace, but it is not a safe idea.
According to the Building and Fire Research Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and technology, real Christmas trees that aren’t well watered are the biggest risk of having a tree catch on fire. They have a video on their website that shows how quickly a fire can spread due to a dry Christmas tree. It’s a real eye opener because it visually shows how quickly a fire reaches the tree.
According to their research it only takes three seconds to set the tree completely on fire. Within 40 seconds the entire room is erupted in deadly flames and harsh toxic smoke. It’s no wonder why 1 out of every 9 Christmas tree fires ended with death as compared to the average fire where its 1 death per 75 fires.
Thankfully the statistics show that Christmas trees that do catch on fire are a very small portion of the amount of live Christmas trees that are sold. The best way to prevent a fire from happening is to keep your tree properly watered. A well-hydrated tree has a great chance of not being able to catch on fire, even when it is intentionally lit.
The most important aspect to remember is to continue to keep your tree watered well. When you place Christmas lights on your tree make sure you follow to instructions and don’t place too many on it. Never use lights that are worn, and never use candles.
Keep your tree at least three feet away from a source of heat. Be sure to put it far away from anything that has an open flame that can accidentally reach it. Don’t place it in an area that will get too much direct contact with sunlight because you don’t want it to have unnecessary water loss.