DECATUR, Ala. — The holidays are just not complete without a Christmas tree, and if you're dealing with a live Christmas tree this year, we have some safety tips to make sure you have a silent night without any tree fires.
Decatur Fire and Rescue said the number one focus to keep your home from bursting in flames needs to be keeping it watered. Lieutenant Brandon Sivley believes the best way to determine your tree's health is by its color. "So if you're dealing with the live tree, my number one focus needs to be on keeping it watered, properly hydrated. One of the real key indicators on the health of the tree is going to be the color of the needles. So make sure, you know, it should be a good, vibrant green color. That's usually the best indicator to know about your tree health, and like I say, another really important thing is to make sure that the tree stable so that if a child or a pet were to knock it over, it would have the stability to withstand that."
The National Fire Protection Association said approximately 2 of every 5 home Christmas tree fires started in the living room, family room, or den. "Make sure if you're seeing any brown spots that you either trim that off, make sure that your lights, are URL protected it. Make sure that you have no exposed wiring throughout your light. And another really important factor is to make sure you keep your tree away from any heat sources."
NFPA adds that electrical failures or malfunctions were factors in more than 34 percent of Christmas tree fires. In 20 percent of Christmas tree fires, some type of heat source was placed too close to the tree.
"Just like with any other electrical make sure you've got the proper wiring and then make sure that you're not overloading your plugs. We always advocate that any lights that are being used on the tree or URL approved, it just gives you gives you more of that that safety factor built in."
NFPA said Christmas tree fires are more common between 3p.m. and midnight, accounting for one-half of associated fires.