Christmas Tree Safety

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Having an artificial Christmas tree at home is better than getting a fresh tree, safety-wise. The danger of fire is dramatically reduced with an artificial tree, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have any safety issues. If you decide to get a fresh tree for Christmas anyway, here are a couple of things to remember about caring for a freshly-cut Christmas tree.

Fires caused by fresh trees usually occur because the trees are dead and dry, so it’s important to keep your tree alive and moist. Start by choosing one that hasn’t been turned into firewood. Young, growing trees are the best ones to get. You check if they’re healthy by pulling on the pine needles; if they come off easily, that’s not a very good sign. The trunk should also be sticky and the limbs must be flexible.

Once you take the tree home, cut off two inches below the trunk. This creates a fresh cut for the tree to soak in water. If you don’t do this, the tree won’t be able to take in water as efficiently.

The best way to fireproof your Christmas tree is to keep it hydrated. They also dry out with heat, so it’s important to keep your tree cool and far from heat sources like the fire place or heater vents.

Do not dispose of the tree by burning because a burning tree is difficult to control and may burn faster than you expect. Get rid of the tree by the time the new year comes around because the longer it stays in the house, the more the tree dries up and becomes a fire hazard.

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