Christmas Tree Safety

1/2/2019 (Permalink)

We're taking our advice and are putting away our office tree for the year.

With the holidays coming to an end, we want to encourage you to dispose or store your Christmas tree sooner rather than later. The reason being it’s a fire hazard, regardless if you have a real or artificial tree, and the dryer the tree, the bigger the fire hazard. In fact, nearly 40% of U.S. home fires that begin with Christmas trees occur in January.

In light of the holiday season winding down, we’d like to give you a list of tips to consider when getting your tree next holiday season.

1. Fresh is best: Buy a tree that isn’t previously cut to prevent it from drying out before you bring it home.

2. Do your research: If you have a pre-lit artificial tree, check to see if it’s been recalled. Often times, these kinds of trees are recalled due to exposed wiring and electrical shock hazards.

3. Hydration is key: Keep your tree well-watered throughout the entire holiday season to keep your tree green and fire free.

4. Lights out: Don’t leave lights plugged in when you leave your home or go to bed. If a fire sparks, you want to be the first to know.

5. Flames lead to blame: Keep open flames, such as candles, away from the tree at all times.

6. Your outlets need breaks too: Don’t overload your electrical sockets when plugging in Christmas tree lights.