NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
December 9, 1999
Don't let the excitement and emotion of the holidays distract you from safety concerns, says a safety specialist at North Dakota State University.
"With all the lights, decorations and greenery, the holiday season calls for extra caution to keep memories happy and safe," says George Maher of the NDSU Extension Service.
One of the biggest fire hazards of the season is the evergreen tree, Maher notes. To reduce the danger, select the freshest tree possible, even if you have to modify your decoration planning. Once you select a tree, maintain it carefully throughout the holiday season. To get the freshest tree possible, cut your own at a tree farm.
When buying a pre-cut tree, look for soft, pliable needles and branches, Maher advises. Only a few needles should fall when a fresh tree is thumped firmly on the ground. It is natural for the tree to have some brown needles near the trunk. If the normally brown needles in the center are green and the trunk is green, then the tree may have been spray painted to conceal an older, dried-out tree.
Most trees at sales outlets are wrapped with a plastic mesh that makes a good examination of the tree difficult. The mesh is for ease of handling and to reduce damage during transportation. It will take some time for the tree to relax its branches and open up after the wrapping has been removed.
"It is easier to select your tree from those that have had the wrapper removed. You may be in for a surprise if you wait and remove the plastic mesh at home," Maher says.
Store the tree in a cool location at home until you are ready to decorate it. Cut about an inch of wood at an angle from the end before inserting it into the stand to expose fresh plant cells that can take up water from the reservoir. Dried out cells cannot take up water, so the tree will dry out very quickly, becoming a dangerous fire hazard, Maher notes.
As soon as the tree is set up, fill the reservoir with water or your favorite recipe for watering the tree. It is important to keep the reservoir filled to prevent the tree from becoming water-locked. A water-locked tree cannot absorb moisture and will quickly dry out.
When the tree is first put up it will consume a lot of water, then the consumption will slow. "Don't allow the reservoir to dry out, otherwise you will have to take the tree down, decorations and all, to re-cut the end of the trunk," Maher says.
Carefully check every string of lights before putting them on the tree. Frayed wires, broken insulation, cracked light receptacles and damaged mounting clips are problems to look for and correct. Always use parallel-wired light strings -- the ones that remain lighted if one or more bulbs are burned out. Series-wired strings of lights are not very common and should not be used. If you have a set they are probably very old and should be discarded, Maher says.
Extension cords can quickly become overloaded. Not more than three strings of lights should be connected to a single extension cord.
"It is not safe to connect several extension cords to a single electrical outlet. Many strings of bulbs on several cords add up and can result in an overload, maybe a house fire," Maher notes.
Place the bulbs on the tree so they do not touch the needles. Bulbs that are in contact with or too close to the needles will dry them out and possibly ignite them. Use tinsel made of plastic, not metal foil which conducts electricity. Apply paper and combustible ornaments very carefully on the tree, being especially careful to avoid lights.
Maher notes that there are safety advantages to using artificial trees. They don't need watering and don't dry out. Most are made of plastic and are fire resistant. With older, all-metal artificial trees, extra caution is needed because they may conduct electricity from worn-out strings of lights. Consider illuminating them with flood lights rather than strings of lights, just to be safe.
When purchasing a new artificial tree or electrical decorations, always look for the Underwriters Laboratory tag. Apply lights carefully to these trees so that they are not too close to the needles.
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Source: George Maher (701) 231-8288
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629