Before you decorate your Christmas Tree, make sure go over our Christmas tree fire prevention tips. A few simple steps can help ensure that you and your family have a festive, yet safe holiday season.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), one of the leading causes of home fires is overloaded electrical outlets. Be careful not to overload your Christmas tree with too many lights or other ornamental electrical devices. This can result in overheated wires, sockets, and plugs that pose a fire risk.
When you’re ready to decorate your Christmas tree, consider these tips for preventing Christmas tree fires:
- Make sure that you purchase your Christmas tree from a reputable dealer who sells fire-retardant trees.
- Look for Christmas tree labels indicating that the tree has been treated to withstand artificial conditions. This will help prevent needle drop and reduce the fire hazard. Make sure your Christmas tree is fresh, green, and healthy looking with needles firmly attached.
- Don’t bring a Christmas tree indoors if it’s wet—wet Christmas trees are much more flammable than dry Christmas trees.
- If you suspect that your Christmas tree is not fresh, place it outdoors and allow it to dry out before bringing inside your home.
- Place Christmas trees at least three feet from heating sources such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights to avoid rapid drying of the tree needles and a possible increasing risk of fire.
- Check all light sets for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, loose connections, and loose bulbs before placing them on your Christmas tree. Do not overload electrical outlets with Christmas tree lights, extension cords or other plugs.
- Unplug Christmas tree lights before you go to bed or leave the house.
- The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends keeping Christmas trees no higher than thirty inches from ceilings to prevent serious injury in case of a Christmas tree fire.
Christmas tree lights are festive and fun, but they can be a fire hazard if you do not exercise caution with them! Make sure your Christmas decorations are fire-safe to help prevent Christmas tree fires. Thanks for reading our Christmas tree fire prevention tips. Remember, If you see or smell something unusual about your Christmas tree, don’t ignore it—take action immediately!
