Fire Safety Tips: How to Keep Your Live Tree From Catching Fire

Fire Safety Tips: How to Keep Your Live Tree From Catching Fire

Some people are fine with the artificial tree. Every year they fluff out the branches, decorate it, and light it up. The tree can be passed down to generations as well as long as it is kept taken care of. But what if you’re one of those who simply can’t call it Christmas without the hunt for the perfect live tree? However, you’ve also seen the footage going around social media that it can take seconds to fully engulf your home if it catches fire.

The truth is, if you know the proper safety tips for your live tree, you can have your tree and follow Chicago fire safety precautions as well. Here are some safety tips to help prevent the fire from breaking out this holiday season.

Pick the Right Tree

When picking out your Christmas tree, make sure to pick as fresh of a tree as possible. Make sure it looks vibrant and bright green. If there are needles already falling off, you want to look for a different tree. The fresher the tree the safer it will turn out to be when it comes to bringing into your home. You don’t want a tree that is already shedding its needles or turning brown in places.

Pick the Perfect Spot

Once you’ve chosen your favorite tree, make sure to choose the perfect spot in your Chicago condominium. Ensure that there are no fire hazards such as space heaters, radiators or candles nearby. You want the tree in an area that it will not be near a heat source to prevent an unfortunate accident this holiday season.

Keep it Watered

One of the most important components of Chicago fire safety with your Christmas tree is to keep the tree watered. A dry tree is a breeding ground for fire hazards. You want to keep it with plenty of water in the tree stand so that it doesn’t cause issues unexpectedly.

Check the Lights

Part of decorating your Christmas tree is stringing beautiful lights on to it. Make sure that all your lights have been checked and certified by UL or the ETL/ITSNA standards. These will make sure that your tree lights are safe and up to Chicago fire safety standards. Also, check your light strands before putting them up to replace in broken or blown bulbs.

Lights Out!

When you retire to bed for the night, be sure to turn off the Christmas tree lights. While it may seem silly, this is when fire safety issues can happen, and you least expect it. Be sure all the lights are turned off and that nothing is around the tree that could be a fire hazard.

You can have your live Christmas tree this year and follow Chicago fire safety at the same time. Be sure to keep these tips in mind when it comes to picking up your perfect tree and putting it in your home. Fire safety comes first, so protect your family and your condominium neighbors with these ideas.