Many people like the look and smell of a real Christmas tree in their homes, but they can also pose a fire risk.
The Corpus Christi Fire Department held a demonstration today to show that danger. It only took a matter seconds for a natural tree to become fully engulfed.
Fire officials say the key to making sure your Christmas tree isn’t a fire hazard is keeping it hydrated. They say this becomes especially important during colder weather when we’re heating our homes.
“Once we have the heaters on in the home, well now we start drying out the tree even faster. The water starts evaporating even quicker,” fire captain James Brown explained. “So just be aware of it and make sure that you keep water in the tree base.”
Another potential fire hazard during the holidays are tree lights. Capt. Brown says you should check them for any bad wiring that might spark a fire. In addition, make sure you use indoor lights on your tree. Another option is using LED lights, which don’t emit any heat.
