To tree or not to tree

When it comes down to it, you’re either an artificial tree person or a real tree person.

Plastic trees have been around long enough (since the 19th Century) that there aren’t many new converts. So the choice to go fake or real is largely rooted in family history.

My family’s tradition was to drive an hour to our favorite Christmas tree farm. We’d get jostled around in a horse-drawn wagon and spend the next hour arguing about what constitutes the perfect tree. I fought for tall and skinny; everyone else said small and fat. After I lost the argument, my dad would go all Paul Bunyan on the short, fat Fir and we’d get jostled some more in the horse taxi back to the car.

So in my heart I'm a real tree guy, but last year I skipped the whole tree-hunting thing. The reason? I joined the fire department.

My Firefighter 1 instructor Tommy Hale showed us a video from the National Institute on Standards and Technology (NIST). In it, a Scotch Pine goes up like a roman candle, fully engulfing a room in less than a minute. See for yourself here. Somewhere around 40 seconds the room is completely black with smoke and the stuffed bunny is cooked.

What impressed me most wasn’t how quickly everything ignited – though it’s pretty sobering. What made me a convert on that Christmas was how much the place resembled our small living room (minus the stuffed bunny). The tree was even exactly where I would have put our tree.

I won’t be preachy about which is better. You are who you are – a fake tree person or real tree person. But here are some not so festive facts about tree fires from the National Fire Protection Association:

• Between 2005-2009, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 240 home fires that started with Christmas trees. These fires caused an average of 13 deaths, 27 injuries and $16.7 million in direct property damage.
• Christmas tree fires are not common, but when they happen, they’re likely to be serious. On average, one of every 18 reported fires that began with a Christmas tree resulted in death.
• A heat source too close to the Christmas tree started 25 percent of these fires.
• 18 percent of home Christmas tree structure fires were intentionally set. Half of the intentional Christmas tree fires occurred in January and may have been related to disposal.

With that terrific pine smell and cozy charm comes a real fire risk. But the risks can be minimized with some simple precautions. The NFPA advises the following for people who bring real trees into their homes:

• Don’t place your tree close to a heat source like a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks.
• Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
• Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove.
• When the tree dries out, discard it right away.
• Maintain your holiday lights. Inspect them each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets and excessive kinking or wear.
• Don’t overload electrical outlets or link more than three light strands unless the directions indicate it’s safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet.
• All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents.
• Don’t block exits. In the event of a fire, time is of the essence. A blocked entry or exit puts you and your family at risk.
• If you can, avoid using lit candles. Consider battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles. If you do use a candle, make sure it’s in a stable holder that can’t be easily knocked down, and never leave a room or go to bed with candles burning.
• Lastly, don’t go near a Christmas tree with an open flame, be it candles, lighters or matches.

Common sense stuff, but worth remembering.

Have a safe and happy holiday season everyone.