Important Tips For Christmas Tree Safety

Did you know that Christmas trees are the cause of more than 200 structure fires a year?

Keep your home and family safe this holiday season by following these simple steps.

1. When picking a Christmas tree, choose one with fresh, green needles. The best way to check their dryness level is easy: just touch the needles. If they fall off, the tree is too dry already. If you’re going with an artificial tree, please make sure it’s fire retardant, which should be identified by the manufacturer. No label or identifying information? Choose another please.

2. Refresh the tree by making a fresh cut, taking one inch off the butt and immediately place in water. This improves water uptake and is especially important if the tree is purchased from a lot.

3. Water your tree daily. Southern California is a particularly dry area, and trees will go through the water you put into the stand pretty quickly.

4. Make sure you put the tree at least three feet away from heat or light sources, such as candles, fireplaces, radiators and heat vents.

5. Use indoor lights for the tree, and never leave your house or go to bed without turning them off first. Get rid of any strands of lights that have broken or damaged cords, and don’t connect more than three strands together.

After Christmas, it’s time to get the tree out of the house (and definitely once it starts losing needles). Don’t store it in your garage. Get it outside and check with your local municipality to see when they will come around to pick up and recycle the tree.

Lastly, make sure to enjoy these coming weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday! They can be stressful, but remember what they are about: you and your loved ones celebrating safely together!

Happy holidays from all of us at Padgett’s Cleaning & Restoration, Inc.