Christmas Tree Safety
Don't let your tree rob your family.
A good Christmas tree is the most important decoration
of the winter holidays. They’re an acknowledgement that the summer warmth
has gone away for the year and that the cold has moved in to stay. A
Christmas tree can create an inner warmth in the depths of the winter’s
chill and help to unite people and families even closer for a short season.
Unfortunately, many incidents and tragedies result each year from Christmas tree carelessness. Most of these tragedies could have been and in the future can be easily avoided. Just knowing a few important facts about Christmas tree safety can be a very valuable thing.
“Christmas tree fires” can rob a family of presents below the tree, the whole house, and even life. Tree fires usually result in three ways and are extremely easy to prevent.
The first common problem is when a lit candle gets too close to a dry tree. Some people even put candle decorations on their trees. If you do this, DO NOT light them! Keeping a lit candle away from a tree is a very easy thing to do and a very smart thing to do.
Another common pitfall that causes fires is placing the tree too close to an open electrical socket. This, though not common, can send a tree up in flames. Obviously to plug the lights in, it has to be somewhere near an outlet, but don’t put it closer than seems necessary. If there are any extra outlets not being used, plug them up with a plastic topper.
The last thing to check is the Christmas lights themselves. Remember, they’ve been in storage all year long. It’s a very wise idea to make sure the plastic surrounding the wires is still intact and in good shape.
“Unstable Christmas trees” can be very dangerous to young children. Remember, although a tree might seem reasonably stable when first raised, a large amount of decorations can shift its weight making it less stable. The best way to take care of this is to use a quality stand with a wide base. Make sure that the base of the tree hasn’t rotted out and that it’s firmly secured in the base.
The last important thing to remember is slightly more obvious, but sadly often overlooked. When little children are in the household, it is important not to put decorations to low on the tree. This is especially true with small decorations or the traditional thin glass balls. Just remember that toddlers like to put just about anything in their mouths and will do so!
Following these important steps will drastically reduce the probability of having a Christmas tree related incident. These incidents happed and affect many families every year. It’s well worth it to take these easy steps to prevent such an accident. An artificial tree is a good way to easily follow many of these safety tips since they are generally very stable and flame resistant.