Live Christmas Trees and Holiday Fire Safety Concerns
No one wants to spoil the festive environment of the winter holiday season, but live Christmas trees in homes present hidden dangers that homeowners may not consider. A primary concern with a live Christmas tree is fire danger, often brought on by the combination of electrical malfunctions and a drying tree.
According to a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) report, U.S. fire departments responded to more than 200 home structure fires annually from 2002 to 2005 that began with Christmas trees. Each year fires occurring during the holiday season injure 2,600 individuals and cause over $930 million in damage, according to the United States Fire Administration.
Electrical failures or malfunctions were involved in nearly half of the fires, while nearly a quarter occurred because a heat source was located too close to the tree. Decorative lights with live voltage were involved in more than 20 percent of the instances.
Additionally, in the same three-year period, an annual average of 90 outside and other non-structure fires on home properties occurred because of Christmas live trees stored on the property, the report indicates. Two-thirds of these fires occurred in January, with 64 percent of them being set intentionally. This suggests that discarded live Christmas trees may be an attractive target for arsonists.
While electrical malfunctions can also ignite artificial trees, homeowners who choose artificial trees don't have the same worries about choosing a sufficiently "green" natural tree that doesn't dry out prematurely.
Likewise, artificial trees do not need to be constantly monitored and watered.
According to the NFPA even a well-watered tree should be taken down after four weeks. If you decorated your real tree right after Thanksgiving, it should be discarded the week after Christmas, not New Year's Day.
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