So how safe do you think your tree is? Here is how to determine if it is continue to read for good information.

This is a classic Christmas Tree arraignment.

The Holiday season is upon us, bringing a coniferous tree into our living rooms is an annual event. Artificial trees are common, I remember when I was young seeing one made of aluminum, that seems a bit unsafe due to the electrical conductivity of the metal. Plastic trees look amazingly like the real McCoy, they come in a box and unfold a lot like an umbrella. Cutting the tree from a farm is often a family outing, a big day during this time of year. Living trees are also an option, we started using one last year. During the remainder of the year, it lives outdoors next to the stairs leading to the front door. Keeping it watered and fresh is handy, although when the hot months of July and August arrive special attention is paid to it, drying out is a challenge.

We have that coniferous tree in our living room, it's a pretty potted tree that my wife planted two years ago, it has grown amazingly. Rapidly growing it was planted at about 2 feet tall, reaching around 5 feet the climate here is good to it, sporting lights and Christmas tree ornaments on it. I was pretty adamant about using it. There is a lower fire risk when using a live tree, I am more comfortable with that than I am having one become more of a safety hazard as each day passes.

The city I was raised in would have residents stack their trees at the High School, in the middle of the football field then shoot a flaming arrow at it to ignite it. A fantastic spectacle for a teenager, and a truckload of fun, but I dought if that is still done. When we place them on the curb to be collected and hauled away generally they are used for mulch, ground cover or wood chips for boiler fuel. They dry out rapidly, the dryer they become the more dangerous they are.

When I was very young, (1956) my Grandfather age 85 at the time, put out a Christmas Tree fire inside his and my Grandmothers house with his bare hands. His hands were badly burned, as I recall it must have been second-degree burns, I remember his hands were bandaged for a what seemed like a long while.

Remembering the lights that were on it, if you are ancient like I am maybe you recall seeing the "bubbler" lights. These lights were neat for a 6-year-old kid to look at, the bulb would heat up some sort of liquid in a test tube looking verticle glass, then bubbles would form. The bubbles started at the bottom of the glass, (clear plastic was rare then) and rose to the top, over and over again. They were powered with 110 volts all strung together, warm to the touch, a lot of people had them like I said they were cool looking. I remember my mother telling me "don't touch those lights they are hot!" (what were they thinking?) The lights were terribly dangerous as well, especially when strung on a drying out coniferous tree. Well, Grandpa put the fire out and saved the house, my Grandma passed away shortly after that, unrelated to the fire.

These are still available for purchase, they must be made
safer now, I would imagine.

The trees can be dangerous, during the years 2011-2015 as reported by the National Fire Prevention Association, the first point of ignition in the study group of 200 structure fires was the Christmas Tree, resulting in 6 deaths, 16 injuries and $14.8 million in property damage from the resulting fires. One in 32 reported Christmas Tree fires resulted in the death of one person, this is in comparison to 143 total deaths from reported home fires. Christmas Tree fires are actually not very common, but when they do occur they are much more likely to cause deaths than other home fires. 42% of Christmas Tree fires take place in December, (OK, that's a no-brainer) another 37% were in January, 21% in the months of February through November. Lighting causes 40% with the related electrical distribution equipment, extension cords, multi-plug adapters, and bare cords causing18%, wiring 13%, and cords and plugs 6%. Electrical failures are responsible for 25% of the incidents, electrical failures are unpredictable. 24% of the fires were arson, 48% of arson fires occur in January. 15% were caused by heating equipment, 6% caused by someone playing with matches, and candles accounted for 8% of the fires in homes. Many years ago, people would decorate the trees with candles, what the heck was the thought process involved in that? 37% started in the living room or den, with 72% of the deaths and injuries taking place in those areas of the house, 6% were chimney fires.

Christmas Tree fires have been on the decline since 1980 extending through the 1990s, overall the occurrence of the fires dropped 80% from the peak in 1980 of 850 to 170 in the years of 2014 and 2015. It must be mentioned home fires fell 50% overall in the same time period. Fires involving natural trees as compared to artificial trees are at a ratio of 3 (natural) to 1 (artificial), further the ratio of 20-1 for injuries (again natural to artificial) and 5-1 for property damage, it appears the artificial trees are safer. Zero deaths have been reported as being related to artificial trees, naturals are bought at a ratio of approximately 2-3, with the artificial being used more than one year. This is a little confusing but 78% of U.S. citizens said they would have a Christmas Tree in their homes, (100 million homes) with 19% being real and 81% being artificial. The math doesn't seem to work out however when taking into account the artificial trees are used many years it does make sense.

I began writing with the expectation of Christmas tree fires being more common, perhaps it is due to the short time period they are in use, typically two months. Though the fires are relatively rare, to the households that experience them they are a life-changing event. What can we do to lessen the chances of a cut tree catching on fire in our homes and places of assembly?

*  Purchase a fresh tree, choose one with green needles with none falling off, look for brown needles, the limbs should be bendable if they snap off the tree is drying.

(Follow this Link for tips on choosing a tree)

*  Water every day, when watered daily testing shows the moisture content of the tree can maintain 70%.

*  Read the information accompanying your lights and other decorations, check to be certain they are flame-retardant, tested by a reputable testing lab.

*  Inspect your decorations for compromised wires, lights, and plugs, limit the number of extension cords in use, if fault interrupters are not on the plugs use an adapter. Allowing the cords to cross the room creates a dangerous tripping hazard if it must be done using duct tape to hold it to the floor or carpet will eliminate the hazard. Use a continuous strip to cross the entire span and inspecting closely to be certain it is fixed tightly to the floor.

*  Do not connect more strings of lights than what is recommended by the manufacturer, do not use more than 50 bulbs on one strand if they are of the screw in style.

*  Make sure your tree is a safe distance from the fireplace, wood stove, and any other open flames. (a minimum of 3 feet is recommended). Candles are open flames, never leave them lit close to the tree, snuff them before retiring for the evening.

*  Don't block doorways with the tree, we must have a way out.

*  Turn the lights out prior to going to bed, it's a bother sometimes, but it is prudent not to leave them plugged in all day and night.

Now to choose that perfect tree, make sure it's fresh.

*  Remove the tree as soon as possible after Christmas day, the day after New Years is a good target. If the needles start falling off, get it out of the house asap, even if it is prior to Christmas, purchase of a new one may be a good idea.

*  Last but not least, install a new battery in your smoke detector, if you don't have one, it is advisable to get one. Fire safety advocates suggest doing so every New Years day, the batteries last a long time, we have a tendency to forget about them.

Christmas Trees are safer than I initially thought, however, safety precautions are what has caused them to become less of a threat. Vigilance on the part of homeowners played a substantial part in the reduction, informational campaigns, improvements in the lighting, and abandoning old style dangerous lighting are some of the key components. Watering the tree daily is not a surprise, it is one of those suggestions that may have made a huge difference.

My neighbor watered an outdoor tree (25-foot tall scotch pine) to rid it of pollen, it saved her house, and her life, when her neighbors home caught on fire, that tree did not burn even though it was 20 feet from the totally engulfed structure with a flame temperature exceeding 2,000 degrees F. (1093 C) That is hot enough to melt steel, and it did do so in the totally involved structure.

I read an account of a man that survived the Earthquake that struck Alaska last week. A question was asked of him how his evacuation went, and if there was anything he would have done differently in hindsight. His reply was that he did not remember what he was supposed to do when a shaker of this magnitude took place. Finalizing his answer he said that his family should have had a plan written down, and practiced. Very good advice for all of us to take heed of.
(Link to FEMA's planning templates)

A Manzanita bush is used as a Christmas Tree in the Western
United States by some people.

A home fire is a bit different than a widespread catastrophic event such as an Earthquake, however, it is still to our advantage to have next to the door an emergency kit with some basic supplies in it. Medication, water, lighting, and extra clothing are some of the supplies considering setting up. Standing outside in our nightclothes while the spray from the fire hoses engulfs us does not make for an enjoyable experience. Flip flops, tee shirts, and nylon nightgowns do not make effective firefighting clothing. Realize that relief will not be arriving for at least an hour, it pays to be prepared with warm clothing and solid footwear.

(Follow this Link to U.S. Fire Administrations page on Fire Safety during the Holidays.)

Leave the firefighting to the experts, that 3/4 inch hose (2 cm) is no match for a 2,000 F fire, the water evaporates before striking the flames. Staying out of the way and not attempting to help extinguish the flames is the best way for the homeowner to combat the blaze.

If there is a Red Cross in your locale a representative will show up, actually quite rapidly, normally blankets and coffee will be available, a warm spot often a Van type of vehicle will be offered.

From the time the insurance company is contacted until the house is rebuilt normally takes two years, a seemingly long time. Six years ago on the three-mile road, our house is on, six houses burned down in the year prior. Four of them have been rebuilt, two remain burned out hulks, referred to as "attractive nuisances".

Thank you for reading and sharing my blog, I have always worried about the tree igniting in the middle of the night, giving us 3 minutes or less to grab our emergency kit and getting the heck out of the house. Share this on Facebook and all social media to help raise the awareness of the potential of a disastrous fire in our homes.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, have a great holiday season.

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com