Residents reminded of Christmas tree dangers
 

According to data from the National Fire Protection Association, fire-fighters responded to an average of 160 fires started by Christmas trees per year, between 2013-2017. These fires resulted in an average of three mortalities, 15 injuries, and over 10 million dollars in property damage. This holiday season, fire department officials are reminding Villagers with Christmas trees to take precaution by practicing these tips to prevent holiday fires:

*Is your tree artificial? If so, check that your tree is flame retardant.

*Keep an eye on your tree if it is a real evergreen. When you first buy an evergreen, it should be fresh, and not shedding or brittle.

*Keep trees at least three feet away from heat sources found throughout your home. This includes, heating vents, radiators, fireplaces, and lighting. These things can cause a tree to dry out faster, which can cause a fire.
If you have a real tree, make sure the stand is full of water at all times.

*Real trees should not be left up for more than two weeks.
Once you take down your Christmas tree decorations, discard the tree immediately. Do not leave it stored around your house, since this still poses a threat. Do not try to burn your tree.

*Check your holiday lights and make sure they are endorsed by testing labs such as Underwriters Laboratories, who test for light safety and reliability.

*Don’t leave tree lights plugged in when unattended. Turn them off when you leave your house or go to bed.

*Be careful when decorating your tree with lights, and make sure you aren’t stringing together too many strands of lights. This typically means no more than three strands of mini-lights or 50 screw-in bulbs.

*Be mindful if you are using LED lights, and check for their proper use. These bulbs can burn hotter than normal bulbs.

*Do not decorate your tree using lit candles. If you do use them around your house as decoration, make sure to blow them out when they are unattended.

*Make sure all of your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly.


Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Read more here on the National Fire Protection Association's website : NFPA - Winter holiday fire facts

And always remember not to tie a Christmas tree to the roof of your golf cart and then try to drive through one of the tunnels. I saw someone do exactly that about 4 years ago.