The holiday season is a time filled with joy, family gatherings, and festive decorations. For many, the centerpiece of their holiday décor is a real Christmas tree. With this tree in your home, you can enjoy the fresh scent of pine and a touch of nature. However, as beautiful as real Christmas trees are, they come with a hidden risk – the potential for a home fire.
At Liberty Restoration, we understand that real Christmas trees are incredibly popular during the holiday season. However, as beautiful as these trees are, they don’t come without some kind of risk. If you want to learn more about the fire risk you run when you keep real Christmas trees in your home and how to keep you and your loved ones safe this holiday season, keep reading.
Why Real Christmas Trees Pose a Fire Risk
While real Christmas trees are a great way to decorate your home for the holiday season, they are inherently flammable, especially as they begin to dry out. The combination of dry pine needs, exposure to electricity through lights, and potentially overloaded circuits can create a dangerous situation.
Once a spark has appeared, a tree can catch fire within seconds, and the room may be engulfed in flames within minutes. According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), there are approximately 160 home fires as a result of real Christmas trees every year. While they are rare, these fires resulted in over $12 million in property damage.
In addition to the property damage, these home fires pose a significant risk to the personal safety of your loved ones. If you choose to invest in real Christmas trees for your home, you must understand the risks you are taking before deciding to bring them into your home. By understanding your fire risk, you can do everything in your power to protect your home and family.
Tips for Preventing Fire from Real Christmas Trees
If you choose to invest in a real Christmas tree for your home, it is essential that you take a few steps to prevent a home fire this holiday season. Some of the best ways to prevent a fire include:
Choose a Fresh Tree
When you look for a Christmas tree, try to opt for one with green, flexible pine needles that are hard to remove from the tree. Fresh trees have a higher moisture content, making them less likely to catch fire. Avoid trees with brown needles or excessive shedding, as they are at a higher risk of catching fire.
Water the Tree Daily
You might not think that your tree requires any watering once you’ve brought it home, but a hydrated tree is a safer tree. Remember to fill your tree stand with plenty of water and top it up daily to ensure your tree maintains proper moisture levels. A tree can absorb a significant amount of water, especially in the first few days after being brought inside.
Position the Tree Safely
Sometimes real Christmas trees aren’t to blame for the fire that ensues. In some cases, these fires are the result of improper placement. When finding a place for your tree, choose a location that is at least three feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, candles, and vents. Also, make sure the tree is not blocking any exits, and that it isn’t positioned too closely to outlets.
Check Your Lights
Before you hang your lights on the tree, double-check them for frayed wires, brocket sockets, or loose connections. If you notice any of these that can’t be remedied, it might be time to invest in new lights. You may also want to consider upgrading to LED lights, as these lights stay cooler than incandescent bulbs, protecting you from unexpected fire outbreaks.
Turn Off Lights When Unattended
While you might like the idea of pulling up to your home to the sight of real Christmas trees lit through the windows, you are creating a potential fire hazard by doing so. Never leave the tree lights on when you’re not home or when you go to bed. Since tree fires can spread rapidly, this might lead to a house fire when you aren’t home to attend to it.
Properly Dispose of the Tree
Once the holiday season is over, or if the tree becomes dry, remove it from your home promptly. The NFPA reported that nearly half of all tree-related fires occur after the holiday season is over, making this disposal essential. Never store these trees inside or in a garage. Instead, check with your local waste management to see what recycling options are available near you.
What to Do If a Fire Occurs
While you can do everything in your power to prevent fires from real Christmas trees, accidents do happen, and it is essential to be prepared. You should have an emergency plan in place with your family in the event of a home disaster, like a fire. Also, ensure you have batteries in your home’s smoke detector to alert you if a fire occurs when you aren’t in the room. Finally, if you’ve dealt with a home fire, reach out to a home restoration company to help you recover from this event more quickly than if you attempted to do it on your own.
Helping Utah Homeowners Recover from Home Fires
A real Christmas tree can add warmth and tradition to your holiday celebrations, but it’s important to be aware of the potential fire risks. By following these safety tips, you can enjoy a beautiful, festive tree while keeping your home and loved ones safe. If, however, you do experience a home fire this holiday season, turn to our team at Liberty Restoration for support.
We can help you remove tough soot and smoke stains, address any mold growth that may have occurred as a result of putting out the fire, and much more. With Liberty Restoration on your side, you can trust that your home will be as beautiful as it was before the fire. If you’ve experienced a fire, don’t wait to reach out for help. Contact our team today and restore your home to its former glory.