"Oh Christmas Tree, How Flaming Are Thy Branches"

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) an estimated 30 million Christmas trees are sold in the US each year.  30 million!

What you might not know is that there is an estimated annual average of 210 home structure fires that begin with Christmas trees.   Based on data from 2002 through 2005, these fires caused an average of 24 civilian deaths, 27 civilian injuries, and $13.3 million in direct property damage per year.

Check out this video for a more visual explanation of the phenomenon.  Any questions?

The NFPA analysis also shows that although the number of Christmas tree fires is low, these fires represent a higher level of hazard.  On average, one of every nine Christmas tree fires resulted in a fatality compared to an average of one death per 75 non-confined home structure fires overall.

So you've picked out your perfect tree, be it a Frasier Fir, Douglas Fir, Canaan Fir, or Fake Fir.  Its ready to go up in your living room, but remember that it might also be ready to go up in flames if you are careless.  Patch chatted with Bruce Rice and Chris Heiner from the South Kingstown Fire Marshal's Office to get the skinny on how to keep your Christmas tree green – and not well-done – this holiday season.

"Is one more safe than the other?  Well, you could have a tree that is imitation, metal, bare wires, you could have a problem with that in that the material its made of is always dry," said assistant fire marshal Bruce Rice.  "There's something to be said for tradition with a live tree, but it can be just as dangerous if its not cared for."

"It all depends on what the fake tree is made out of," said assistant fire marshal Chris Heiner.   "If it's fire resistant, its probably less flammable than a real tree. Older fake trees obviously would have been made of less fire retardant material than newer ones, just check the box to see if there's a UL [Underwriters Laboratories] label on it."

Alright, so no tree is safe really.  Lets start with real trees.  What can we do to keep them safe?

According to the NFPA, The moisture content of each tree can play a dominant role in determining the fire hazard each tree represents. Properly maintaining a cut Christmas tree is important to retaining a high moisture content in the needles of the tree to limit accidental ignition and prevent rapid flame spread.  A tree which has dry needles can readily ignite with a flaming source and generate heat release rates that are capable of causing flashover in residential scale rooms. 

"Make sure your tree is fresh cut.  If you've traveled anywhere you need to make sure to cut the tree once more when you get home to make sure a sap plug hasn't formed, otherwise you will water it all day and it will dry out," Heiner said.  "Make sure  there's always water in the bowl and make sure the needles aren't falling off." Heiner suggested checking the tree three to four times a day to make sure there is water in the bowl, because if the tree goes dry it will plug the stem again.

"Obviously, with any tree, real or fake, you should keep it away from any heating source like a fireplace or a portable heater. Nothing like that should be near the tree, or any other ignition source.  You can see why in the video."

There's been a lot of talk about lights on the tree.  Are the LED light sets really worth the hype?

The LED draws a very low current and puts off very little heat," Rice said. Absolutely right, they naturally uses less power, and put off significantly less heat."

"With the newer technology the lights are not going to give off as much heat, but the cords are thin and they can break just as easily," Heiner added.  "Definitely check out any light strands before you use them.  If the bulb is broken and the electrical contact is out in the open that's definitely a fire hazard."  

So for the Clark Griswolds out there, how many strings can we string together?

"Usually on the packaging it'll tell you exactly how many sets you can string together, with the older ones with incandescent bulbs, you're pretty much limited to three sets." Rice said. "The newer ones with the LEDs, I would think probably, five, but check the package." 

Heiner recommended using a surge protector, which will also make the user more likely to switch off the lights when he or she is not home. "Shut it off whenever you leave the house and keep an eye on it.  The heat wont build over time, unless there's a problem with the line or bulb itself, but decorations over the lights like a garland will have a chance of heating up."

NEXT WEEK: Holiday safety tips for the dogs (and cats, and birds...)