Christmas trees light up a room and fill your house with that wonderful holiday fragrance. But when they dry out, they become a serious fire hazard. Here are some tips on how to keep your tree fresh and reduce the risk of a deadly fire. Each year, Christmas tree fires damage hundreds of homes across the country and cause more than $13 million in property damage. Between now and January, about two dozen people will die in house fires caused by Christmas trees, according to statistics.
It’s amazing how quickly a dry tree can go up in flames. A demonstration by the Consumer Product Safety Commission proved that a dry tree is a potential inferno. Lisa Braxton with the National Fire Protection Association says that’s why tree fires are often deadly. “On average, one person will die in every nine house fires that start with Christmas trees,” she said. You need to keep safety in mind when you’re on the lot, picking out your tree.
“When shopping for a Christmas tree this holiday season, look for a fresh tree with sticky resin on the trunk and needles that are hard to pull from the branches,” said Julie Vallese with the CPSC. “Remember the freshness test — tap the tree on the ground. If it loses a lot of needles, pick a different tree.” Once you get the tree home, cut an inch or so off the bottom and get it right into water. And make sure you keep the stand filled with water.
Your tree will be mighty thirsty when you first bring it home. “Many people don’t realize that a tree will consumer a quart of water for each inch in diameter,” ” said John Drengenberg with the Underwriters Labs. “That means, for example, that if you have a two-inch diameter tree, it could initially consumer a half gallon of water each day.” Will you be decorating the tree with lights you’ve had in storage? If so, check them for cracked, socked and frayed wires.