Putting up a fresh cut holiday tree in your home is a great way to celebrate the holidays. They smell great, are beautiful and can really get you in the mood. However, there are safety tips you need to follow to keep that tree safe and avoid an epic “Grinch” style disaster.
- Make a selection of a fresh and green tree. One where the needles don’t fall off when you touch it or when you tap it on the ground.
- Trees that are cut too early, risk drying out quicker and becoming a hazard when you add electrical lights to them.
- Before placing your tree in its stand, cut about 1 to 2 inches off the bottom. This will help it draw water to the limbs and quills.
- Just like cut flowers, trees require water or they will dry out. A good tree stand will hold at least one gallon of water. Check it every day. A tree that is six feet tall can use a gallon of water every two days.
- Do not place your tree in front of any exit. Also keep it away from all heat sources like space heaters, fireplaces, heater vents and candles.
- Adding lights to the tree is fun, but make sure they are labeled and tested by an independent test laboratory and labeled for indoor use.
- Do not connect more light strings together than what the manufacturer recommends.
- Before you go to bed or leave the home, turn off all the tree lights.
- Keep an eye on your tree. If it begins to shed needles, check it for dryness. If it becomes too dry, it is a fire hazard and will need to be removed from the home. Don’t jeopardize your holiday with a dry tree.
- Don’t leave empty boxes or discarded paper under your tree after the gifts have been opened.
- After the holidays, remove the tree as soon as you can. Most cities have some sort of tree recycling program. Check for one in your area.
- Do not burn your used tree in your fireplace. A dry tree will burn super quick and could become uncontrollable spreading beyond the fireplace.
The National Fire Protection Association reports that “one of every three home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical failures, and a heat source too close to the tree causes roughly one in every six of the fires.”
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