More and more of you are decorating your homes for Christmas earlier and earlier. A big part of those decorations is your Christmas tree, whether live or artificial. Now, do not get me wrong, I am no Scrooge, but I am rather passionate about preventing your house from catching on fire. Although the artificial tree can cause a fire due to an electrical fault, I am going to spend most of my time talking about the live/dead tree that you choose to bring into your home. I called it a live/dead tree because the moment that it was cut, the dying process began. There are many reasons that people like a live tree, including the smell of pine or maybe just the nostalgia of it all.
If you are going to bring a live or natural tree into your home, then you need to be aware of the dangers associated with this type of tree. As I stated previously, a live tree is no longer alive, when cut from its roots. Although the dying process has begun, it can be slowed by keeping it well watered. The indication that your tree is drying out is when it begins to drop its needles. When purchasing a real tree, you need to pull on one of the branches. If the needles come off in your hand, the tree is too dry. Other than the tree dropping its needles on your floor, this simple test can be used to check your tree. Unfortunately, if your tree dries out before Christmas, you need to remove it from your home. Christmas lights, especially the larger lights, will cause your tree to dry out quicker. You do not want a dry tree in your home! A dry tree, if it catches fire, will burn quickly and very hot. In fact, a dry Christmas tree will act as if gasoline is fueling the fire. Do not get me wrong, if you keep your tree well-watered, it may do fine through Christmas Day.
I did say that the artificial tree could cause a fire if the tree has an electrical problem. It is important to check any Christmas lights for proper operation. If the lights do not work the way they should, replace them. If the lights and tree are a unit, and there is an electrical difficulty, replace the tree. It is important to use the proper bulbs in your Christmas lights as well, including your window candles. You may or may not remember me telling this story, but I ran a house fire one Christmas Eve that was caused by an improper bulb in an electric candle. The light burned hotter than normal and caught the curtains on fire.
Let us get back to the real tree discussion. If you plan to bring a real tree into your home, then you must ensure that you have your ducks in a row. In addition to keeping your tree as fresh as possible, you need the correct number of properly operating smoke alarms throughout your home. You also need a practiced home escape plan that includes secondary escape routes, since your first floor may be inaccessible due to a burning Christmas tree. It is my sincere hope that your Christmas holiday will be safe in every way. One Christmas tree fire is one too many. There are many other things that can cause a fire in your home, especially during the holidays. I would ask you to be intentional about preventing a fire in your home at all costs. Residential fires are sad and bad anyway, but they are even worse during the holidays. Take care of yourselves and your families.
