Christmas Tree Safety |
By Deputy Chief Justin Gattorno | |
December 5, 2014 | |
The Christmas holiday is fast approaching and Christmas trees are being put up and decorated daily in celebration of the holiday. Decorated Christmas trees are beautiful but they can also be very dangerous if not cared for properly. Between 2007 and 2011 U.S. Fire Departments responded to over 230 house fires per year that started with Christmas trees, resulting in costly damages, injuries and even deaths. Please use the safety tips below, provided by the National Fire Protection Association, to help make your Christmas holiday safer. Picking the tree - If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant. Placing the tree - Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 1" - 2" from the base of the trunk. Lighting the tree - Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. After Christmas - Get rid of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or **Information provided courtesy of the NFPA The video below shows the difference between a dry Christmas tree and properly watered Christmas Tree during a fire. |
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Hyperlinks: | NFPA - Safety Tips NFPA - Christmas Tree Fires |
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