Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service #FireFreeHoliday Series

Released: December 16, 2014 at 1:26 p.m.
Tip #1: Preventing Christmas tree fires

Winnipeg, MB - Holiday spirit is high this time of year, but so can be the risk of home fires. In our #FireFreeHoliday series, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service would like share some helpful tips to help you minimize the risk of a fire in your home and make your holiday season enjoyable and safe.

Christmas Trees

There’s nothing more festive than the scent of your Christmas tree throughout your home during the holiday season. But if you don’t take proper precautions, a natural Christmas tree can easily catch fire and rapidly fill a room with flames and deadly gases. Here are some tips for avoiding a dangerous tree situation this holiday season:

  • Choose a tree that is fresh, meaning that its needles are green, hard to pull from its branches, and not easily broken. The tree trunk should be sticky to the touch. Avoid old trees, which are dried out and therefore fire hazards. Shake the tree trunk; if many needles fall off, the tree has probably dried out.
  • Keep your tree away from all heat sources, such as fireplaces and heat vents. The heat dries out the tree, causing it to be easily ignited by heat, flames, or sparks.
  • Keep cigarette ashes far away from the tree.
  • Do not leave the tree up for longer than two weeks.
  • Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
  • Do not dispose of tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove.
  • When a tree becomes dry (losing its needles quickly), discard it promptly.

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