As residents prepare to take down their decorations and clean up after the holidays, Chief Edward N. Richards and Enfield Fire District No. 1 encourage residents to remove their Christmas trees as soon as possible.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 31% of home fires that are caused by Christmas trees occur in January as a result of a natural tree being more likely to dry out and ignite the longer it is left up after Christmas.
“We would like to encourage all our residents to dispose of their natural Christmas trees as soon as possible to reduce the chance of a home fire,” Chief Richards said. “We understand many people may not want to take down their tree just yet, but the longer that a natural tree is left up there is a higher risk of it igniting.”
Enfield Fire District No. 1 wishes to share the following Christmas tree removal fire safety tips from the NFPA:
Christmas Tree Removal Safety
- Dispose of your tree after Christmas or when it becomes dry. Dried out trees are a fire hazard. Do not keep a tree that has become dried out in your home or garage, or lean it up outside against your home.
- Never dispose a Christmas tree by burning it in a fireplace or wood stove. Pines, firs and other evergreens are extremely flammable as a result of having a high content of turpentine oil.
- Christmas trees should never be placed in the garage or left outside.
- The safest way to dispose of a Christmas tree is to use the community’s local recycling program. For more information on Enfield’s tree pickup, click here.
Lighting and Decoration Removal Safety
- When unplugging electrical decorations use the gripping area on the plug. Never unplug any device from an electrical outlet by pulling the cord, as this can harm the wire and insulation as well as increase the risk for shock or electrical fire.
- Inspect each line of string lights for damage, throw out any sets that have loose connections, broken sockets or cracked or bare wires.
- Wrap each set of lights and put them in individual plastic bags or wrap them around a piece of cardboard.
- Be sure to store electrical decorations in a dry place that is out of reach of children and pets and where they will not be damaged by water or dampness.
For any other questions on Christmas tree removal safety please visit NFPA.org or contact the Enfield Fire District No. 1 at 860-745-1878.
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