Important Christmas tree safety tips offered





Christmas trees add a special touch to the holiday season, but they also can be a fire hazard.


The Ventura County Fire Department would like to provide residents with safety tips on how to prevent these fires to help promote holiday safety.


Keeping the holidays safe from fire is an important responsibility for every family. These simple steps can help guard against the serious event of a holiday fire:


Safety Tips


When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree will not catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.


Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching it could be electrocuted.


When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. Fresh trees are green, the needles are hard to pull from branches, and when bent between your fingers, the needles do not break. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground the tree should not lose many needles.


Make a fresh cut across the tree’s base and immediately place in water. Keep the tree’s water container full at all times, checking the water level daily. Dispose of the tree when needles begin to fall off easily or if it turns brown.


When setting up a tree at home, place it a minimum of three feet away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. Remember, heated rooms dry out live trees rapidly.


Make sure all light sets are listed and approved, by looking for the "UL" symbol from the Underwriter Laboratories on a label or package.


Check each set of light strands, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets and replace non-working light bulbs.


Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.


Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house.


Use only noncombustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree.


Beware of children and pets around decorations that have potential of causing them injury if touched or ingested.


Never decorate Christmas trees or other evergreens with lighted candles.


Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass "angel hair."


Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.


Never burn Christmas trees or wrappings in a fireplace or wood stove.


Keep the emergency escape route clear of trees, packages, and furniture.


Consider having your tree sprayed with a State Fire Marshal approved flame-retardant chemical.



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