Have you watered your Christmas tree lately? If not, you better get on it.
While you can't beat the magical sight and scent of a real Christmas tree, it comes with its many downfalls.
Did you know it only takes thirty seconds for a dry Christmas tree to engulf your room in flames?
Last year a video showing the difference between a watered tree and a dry tree when exposed to a spark went viral and the results are absolutely terrifying.
Made public by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the short clip raises concerns about real Christmas trees and how they can be a potential fire hazard.
Urging families to take the necessary precautions, the video demonstrating the difference between two trees separated by a firewall, one tree water and the other not.
Safety experts sparked a fire on the base of both Christmas tree's and as expected, the watered tree held up but other ignited in seconds quickly spreading across the whole room.
Watering a tree regularly can keep a small fire from spreading and fueling what could become a devastating catastrophe, don't be foolish this Christmas and keep on top of the tree.
- There are lots of other things to consider when choosing a real Christmas tree so follow these simple steps to keep your family and home safe over the festive period.
- Always choose a recently cut, healthy tree. Fresh trees hold moisture and only a few needles should fall off.
- When you get home from buying your tree, it is recommended to saw off the bottom inch of the trunk so it can draw up water better. If your tree is remaining outdoors for some time before decorating, make sure you stand it in a bucket of water.
- When the tree is propped up in your home ready to decorate, make sure it’s sturdy in the stand and won’t tip over. If you have small children or pets, mount the tree to the wall or barricade the tree off with fencing.
- Water the tree frequently. A standard six-foot tree needs at least one gallon of water every second day.
- When decorating, use lights rated for indoor use only that doesn’t create any heat such as LED lights and always check for broken, cracked sockets, bare wires and loose connections.
- Never overload your electrical outlet. If you want to use different strands of lights and other electrical decorations plug them into different circuits around the home.
- Keep the tree away from any heat source. Keep burning candles within sight and extinguish all candles before leaving a room.
- Have working smoke alarms on every floor of the home and remember to test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors regularly.
