Preventing Christmas Tree Fires In Columbia Homes

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — As Columbia residents near the end of 2020, many are turning to real Christmas trees to find a glimmer of joy while celebrating the holiday season amid the pandemic.

According to a survey by the Christmas Tree Promotion Board, consumers nationwide are more likely to appreciate "simple pleasures" and focus on creating new traditions this year. Among these new traditions are real Christmas trees — 39 percent say they're more likely to buy a real Christmas tree this year because of the pandemic.

But if you don’t take the necessary precautions, your real Christmas tree — as well as your family’s memories — could go up in flames.

Between 2014 and 2018, the most recent data available through the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments responded to an average 160 Christmas tree fires each year. These fires caused two deaths, more than a dozen injuries and more than $10 million in direct property damage.

At least 25 million real Christmas trees are sold annually, the National Christmas Tree Association says. Many people who opt for a real tree will either cut it down themselves or buy it pre-cut at a lot. This requires extra care to keep the trees from drying out and becoming fuel for a deadly house fire.

And it takes very little time for a fire to become deadly.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted a live Christmas tree burn to demonstrate how quickly Christmas tree fires ignite when needles become brittle due to under-watering.

Trees can become fully engulfed in a matter of seconds, then ignite everything in the path of the flames. By comparison, an electrical fire sparked for a demonstration on a well-watered tree didn’t spread at all.

Here are a few other quick facts about Christmas tree fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association:

• Electrical or lighting equipment was responsible for nearly half of all Christmas tree fires.
• More than one-fifth of the Christmas tree fires happened because the tree was too close to a heat source.
• 15 percent of Christmas tree fires were intentional.
• More than two out of every five Christmas tree fires started in the living room.

You can prevent Christmas tree fires by taking a few extra safety precautions recommended by the National Fire Protection Association.

Picking The Tree

• When selecting your tree, choose one with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.

Placing The Tree

• Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 2 inches from the base of the trunk.
• Make sure the tree is at least 3 feet away from any heat source, including fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
• Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.

Lighting The Tree

• Use lights that are labeled by a recognized testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for how many light strands you can connect.
• Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
• Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.