Crime & Safety

Don't Let Your Christmas Go Up in Flames: Water that Tree!

The Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company provides tips to keep your house safe during the holidays.

Picking out the perfect natural Christmas tree to take home and decorate is a holiday tradition for many in the area, but once the tree is home, residents must be careful to make sure it is properly watered.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, live Christmas trees account for about 240 fires each year in the United States, resulting in more than $16 million in property damage and about 13 deaths. 

Typically, shorts in electrical lights, open flames from candles, lighters or matches cause the tree fires. While well-watered trees usually are not a problem, dry and neglected trees easily can go up in flames.

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To make sure your holidays stay flame free, follow these tips, which the posted on its Web site.

  • Before placing the tree in the stand, cut a half inch from the base of the trunk.
  • Make sure the tree is at least three feet from any heat source.
  • Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
  • Add water to the tree stand, and add water daily.
  • Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory.
  • Replace any string of lights that has a worn or broken cord.
  • Never use candles to decorate the tree.
  • Always turn off the Christmas lights before going to bed.

You don’t just to just take our word for it: The above video from the Building and Fire Research Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shows what happens when fire touches a dry tree.

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Within seconds of ignition, the dry pine, which is on the right, is completely ablaze. On the left, flames set in the tree placed in water quickly go out. 


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