O Christmas tree: Please stay safe

Heather Rawlyk

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003 | 9:17 a.m.

The Clark County Fire Department offers this advice for keeping safe over the holidays:

He was making a point.

"You saw how quickly that tree caught on fire," Leinbach said. "Now imagine that in your home."

The fire department's demonstration is an annual event performed for the media to get the word out on holiday safety.

Leinbach said Christmas tree fires are not necessarily high in number over the holidays, but they can be devastating. They ignite fast and cause large amounts of damage in homes and apartments.

"Nationally, there are more home fires caused by candles than Christmas trees," he said. "The numbers aren't that bad, but the damage Christmas tree fires can cause is great.

If a spark hits a dry Christmas tree, it could take out an entire mobile home or damage just about all of the furniture and everything in an apartment or living room of a house."

Leinbach warns residents never to sleep in the same room as a Christmas tree. This includes having guests sleep on sofa beds in the vicinity of the tree.

Residents should also only buy Christmas trees that have been kept in water at the tree lot, Leinbach said. A 1-inch chunk should be cut off the base of the tree before bringing it home, he said.

"The base needs to be cut so the tree can absorb the water," he said. "But most important is for a person to put the tree in the water no more than an hour after the inch is cut."

Leinbach said the base will start to heal after an hour, which would prevent the tree from absorbing water. A dry Christmas tree has an even greater risk factor of catching fire, he said.

"When the needles start dropping off, it's time to get the tree outdoors," he said.

The tree needs to be mounted away from all heat sources, Leinbach added. Fireplaces, space heaters, heat vents and candles should be kept in the distance from the tree.

Outdoor lights shouldn't be used on an indoor tree, he said. They are hotter, bigger, and require more electricity than indoor lights, he said.

"Lights are so cheap nowadays and trees are cheap, it's worth it to get a new tree or new lights if you suspect your tree is too dry or the lights are not working properly," he said. "If you see your lights flicker, that means there's a shortage of some sort. Toss them and get new ones."

The fire demonstration Wednesday morning illustrated just how quick and unstoppable a Christmas tree fire can be, Leinbach said.

"Every big fire starts with a small flame," he said. "We had a fire hose at the demonstration and that stopped the fire, but residents don't have that. A fire extinguisher or garden hose isn't going to do the trick and put it out.

"I think Christmas trees are a great thing and they are wonderful and really cheer up a house over the holidays," Leinbach said. "I just want people to be aware of the risks and take precautions so they can have a safe holiday. Christmas is a terrible time to lose everything in a house fire."