Maintaining a Safe, Live Christmas Tree

12/1/2021 (Permalink)

Did you know that Christmas trees alone result in 13 million dollars, annually, in property damage due to fires? More importantly, these fires present real risk towards family, friends, and pets. Don’t let Christmas ever heat up too much (with fire that is). When enjoying a live tree in your home, the combination of tree dryness, electrical malfunction with lights, and poorly located heating sources can make for a deadly combination.

When you simply MUST have a Live Tree, keep these precautions in mind:

• Fresh trees are less likely to catch fire, so look for a tree with vibrant green needles that are hard to pluck and don’t break easily from its branches. The tree shouldn’t be shedding its needles readily.
• Always place your tree away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights, and keep the tree base filled with water to avoid a dry out.
• Make certain all your indoor and outdoor Christmas lights have been tested in a lab by the UL or ETL/ITSNA for safety and throw out any damaged lights.
• Any lights you use outdoors must be labeled suitable for exterior placement and be sure to plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter protected receptacle.
• Keep all your holiday candles away from your Christmas tree, surrounding furniture and décor.
• Bedtime means lights off! ­ Don’t forget to turn your Christmas tree lights off each night.

When your tree begins to drop its needles, it’s time to say goodbye to your evergreen foliage until next year. Follow the above noted guidelines to avoid being another statistic in the National Fire Protection Association or United States Fire Administration report during the upcoming holiday season.