Crime & Safety

Why You Never Want a Dried Out Christmas Tree

Baby, it's cold outside, but inside it's dry and that can be a fire hazard for Christmas trees.

A dried out Christmas tree can be totally consumed by a fire in a matter of seconds. Keeping pine trees moist is critical. Did you know most trees for sale have been cut out of the state and have been drying out since they were harvested, which could have been as late as mid-November? The offers the following safety tips to consider when choosing a tree and maintaining it through the holidays. 

  • Take special precautions when buying a Christmas tree. Trees with brown shedding needles should be rejected.
  • If the tree looks green and fresh, take a long needle and bend it between the thumb and forefinger. If it snaps, the tree is too dry. Look for trees with needles that bend.
  • When the trunk of a tree is bounced on the ground, a shower of falling needles shows that the tree is dry.
  • When bringing a tree home, cut about an inch off the end of the trunk. This will remove the dried end and allow the tree to absorb water.
  • Make checkerboard cuts into the base at different angles to make a greater surface for water absorption.
  • Always turn off lights on trees and other decorations at the end of the night or when leaving the home.
  • A short circuit in any of this equipment could cause a fire. Never use electric lights on a metallic tree.
  • Damaged insulation in lighting on a metallic tree could cause the entire tree to be charged with electricity. To avoid this danger, use colored spotlights above or beside a metal tree, never fastened onto it.
  • Keep children away from light sets and electrical decorations. All lights present a hazard for curious kids.
  • When stringing the lights on the tree, be careful of placement. Keep all bulbs turned away from gifts and paper ornaments.
  • Lights in windows can cause curtains and drapes to ignite.


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