How to Avoid Burning Down Your House with Your Christmas Tree
Christmas time means having new decorations up on your home, as well as some new potential fire risks. Each year, we like to remind homeowners who decorate their homes with real Christmas trees to take care of how they place the trees in their homes and the steps they take to decorate.
Here is a quick overview of tips straight from the National Fire Protection Association to help you stay safe with your Christmas tree and avoid a fire hazard during the holiday season in Lawrenceville, GA this year.
Pick the right tree
If you haven’t yet chosen your tree for the season, know that your choice of tree can influence the level of fire safety you can have in your home during the holidays. You should make sure any tree you select has fresh, green needles that do not fall off when you shake the branches. Avoid trees with a lot of dead-looking, brown needles.
Think of the scene in A Christmas Story when the Christmas tree salesman shakes the tree and it leaves a large ring of needles on the ground. That’s exactly what you should want to avoid.
Place the tree in a safe area
How you place the tree will also influence your fire safety. Make sure you cut a couple inches off the base of the trunk before placing the tree in its stand. Always keep the tree at least a few feet away from heat sources, including radiators, fireplaces, vents, candles or lights. Trees should also never block exits—this is a fire hazard.
If you have a real tree, you know it’s important to stay on top of giving the tree some water. Add water every day—this will keep the tree healthy as well as lower your fire risk.
Choose safe lighting
The lighting is what is most likely to create a fire hazard. Any lights you use should have a label indicating they were tested and deemed safe by a testing laboratory. If you notice any lights have worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections, throw out those strands and get new ones.
There is a limit to the number of strands you can connect together, so make sure you abide by that limit. Never use lit candles to decorate your tree, and even if you believe your lights to be completely safe, you should always turn them off before you leave the home or go to bed.
Proper disposal
With a live tree, you should get rid of the tree immediately after Christmas, or when it’s dried out. Dry trees are a fire hazard, and you should not leave them in your home, in your garage or leaning up against your house. Your local community might have some guidelines for Christmas tree disposal—read up on those so you know the proper way to dispose of your tree. Just make sure you don’t leave it up past the point of being safe.
For more Christmas fire safety tips in Lawrenceville, GA and information on how to avoid a Christmas tree fire hazard, contact the team at AAA Fire Protection Resources, Inc. today.
Categorised in: Fire Hazards
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