Preventing Christmas Tree Fires

01 December 2018

How to Prevent a Christmas Tree Fire

With the days getting closer and closer to Christmas, families are getting ready to put their presents under the tree, hoping to spread some festive cheer over the joyous period. As the nights get darker and colder, you will want to keep your house nice and warm, and place seasonal decor all over your home. However, anyone with a Christmas tree should be wary of house fires and be made aware of the steps to follow to avoid setting theirs alight.

We have some useful tips to help prevent a Christmas tree fire in the upcoming cold months.

Safety Tips

• Water- The main reason trees catch fire easily is because they are unwatered and dry. A Christmas tree can drink up to two pints of water each day, so make sure its supply is topped up daily.
• Lights- Check that the lights don’t touch anything that can easily burn, such as paper or cardboard. Ensure the fuses are the right type by checking the box for correct sizing.
• Alarms- It is important to test your fire alarms to make sure that they are working in case of emergency. Offices should be equipped with the correct fire alarm systems.
• Power- It is important to not overload sockets, especially if they are close to the tree. This may result in sparks from the socket, which is enough to set the tree alight. Make sure each plug has its own allocated socket.
• Check- There are certain checks to perform on the tree itself: the needles should be green and shouldn’t break, trunk should be sticky, needles shouldn’t fall if shook. These tests will verify the age of the tree, and the older the tree the more of a fire hazard it is.
• Decorations- Any decorations made of tissue paper, cardboard or a thin material can burn easily, so should be avoided. Do not put them close to a fireplace, and do not attach them to a heater.
• Space- Make sure that the tree is placed in an area where it has enough room, so it won’t be easily knocked or be an obstruction. Pines will fall from the tree so making sure that there is floor space, so they can be picked up, is useful.

Whilst having merriment with friends and family over the festive period is important, making sure that your home is safe from a fire is a priority, and following these precautions will help you be better suited to ensure you have comprehensive knowledge on how to prevent a Christmas tree fire.

Read our previous blog Keeping Safe from Fires During the Cold for our advice on preventing fires, to be better suited at keeping warm safely.