Christmas Tree Safety
In past days, having a Christmas tree in the house was a sure way to put your family at risk for fire. Let’s be honest- who ever thought putting candles on a dry pine tree was a good idea? It’s a fire just waiting to happen! We’ve come a long way since then, but there are still some hazards associated with Christmas trees. Let’s talk about some tips for Christmas tree safety.
The first most important part of Christmas tree safety is choosing a tree that is healthy and green. The needles of pines and spruces should bend and not break. They should be hard to pull off the branches. On fir species, a needle pulled from a fresh tree will snap when bent, much like a fresh carrot. The trunk of the tree should still be sticky and the limbs should be very flexible. Heft the tree and bounce the cut end on the ground. If you see a whole bunch of needles come tumbling off, it isn’t the safest tree to take home.
Once you’ve chosen a tree, you must choose a place to put it in your home. Be sure that you keep your tree away from heated areas like fireplaces or radiators. Make sure that the tree does not block foot traffic or doorways. Now you need to keep your tree well hydrated. Just like a person, trees will wither and die without water. Keep the water in the stand well above the fresh cut bottom of the trunk. You don’t need to add anything but water (your tree doesn’t have sugar or caffeine cravings). There are, however, products available to help your Christmas tree from getting too thirsty.