The holiday season is said to be one of the most wonderful times of the year, but you should be aware that your beautiful Christmas tree can also be a fire hazard. The Christmas tree fire safety tips that we are sharing below focus more on live Christmas trees, as they are more likely to be involved in a fire than artificial trees, but several of the tips are relevant for artificial trees as well.
Make sure the tree you purchase is fresh.
Don’t purchase a tree that is shedding needles. If it is already shedding needles, it’s too dry. When a tree is too dry, it can become a fire hazard when you place your holiday lights on it.
Water your Christmas tree well.
It’s best to put your live tree up as soon as possible, preferably the same day as bringing home, and during that first day, you should add water several times to the reservoir. It would also be a good idea to cut a couple inches off the base before you put it into the tree stand to help it absorb water better. Going forward, keep the reservoir full and check the water levels daily. Keeping your tree fresh is important, as a dry tree becomes more of a fire hazard.
Avoid placing your tree near a heat source.
Keep your tree at least 3 feet away from your fireplace, wood stove, heating vents or even candles. Heat sources help dry out your tree. Don’t forget, candles can also be knocked over by pets. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 20% of Christmas tree fires can be attributed to a tree being placed too close to a heat source.
Make sure your Christmas lights are in good working order.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for usage. If there are any frayed edges, loose connections, or cracked bulbs, it’s time for you to get new lights.
Turn off the lights on your Christmas tree when you’re not in the room.
Don’t leave your Christmas tree lights on when you go to bed or when you leave your home. A fire that starts when you aren’t nearby has more time to grow and can cause more damage than one that is detected early.
Never put your tree in a place where it will be blocking an exit.
In case of an emergency, all exit routes should be accessible. Make sure your fire alarms are in good working condition too!
Remove your tree after the Christmas holiday.
Many of us want to extend the look of the festive holiday as long as we can. But the longer you keep your tree up, the more it tends to dry out. According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost 30% of all fires involving Christmas trees actually take place in January. So even if you plan to keep the rest of your holiday decorations up for part of January, it’s best to take your Christmas tree down.
We hope that you found these Christmas tree fire safety tips helpful and wish you a wonderful holiday season!
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