With artificial trees so popular these days it is easy to think that artificial trees, also referred to as "fake trees," pose less of a fire hazard than regular real Christmas trees. But how many of us ever stop to think why we believe this? I know I never did until recently.
In this article, I lay out 5 simple facts I have learned about real Christmas trees. There are many myths about live Christmas trees which are based on more assumption than true fact. My goal is not to tell you what you should do, but rather to list these 5 facts, so you too can make your own educated judgments about the safety of real Christmas trees in your home.
Fact #1: A wet Christmas tree is safe; a dry Christmas tree is not.
A wet Christmas tree is a tree which is properly watered on a daily basis. Keeping a real tree watered means the tree retains moisture, and it is near impossible to start a fire on a wet tree. To help put this in perspective, if you were to start a small camp fire, would you look for moist wet twigs and branches from a live tree or would you look for dead dry twigs and branches? For anyone who has been camping, you know the best way to start a fire is to use dry wood. The drier the wood, the quicker it can be used to create a fire and we know this is crucial to being able to cook a decent dinner or cup of coffee. Why would this not also be true with a Christmas tree? Keep it well watered and you will drastically reduce the risk of your Christmas tree catching on fire.
Fact #2: Heat sources will dry out a Christmas tree.
Heat sources can be any kind of fireplace (not just wood fireplaces), radiators, space heaters, stoves, ovens and even candles. These heat sources will cause a real tree to become dry. The faster a tree dries, the quicker it dies. As a tree loses its moisture, it will become less resistant to fire. Therefore, keep your tree away from any heat source and you will enjoy a healthy green Christmas tree throughout the holiday weeks. In regards to artificial trees, they can not "dry" out; however they too should not be placed near heat sources. Artificial trees are made of plastics and chemicals which are not fire proof and therefore still a fire hazard.
Fact #3: A well watered Christmas tree will stay healthy but not last forever.
A watered tree can remain healthy and fire resistant according to the National Institute of Safety and Technology for at least 3 weeks. They conducted a 3 week test on 8 trees where 7 of the 8 were not watered and the 8th tree was watered daily. Naturally, the first 7 trees were quite dry by the end of the 3 weeks, in fact losing on average more than half of their weight. The 8th tree however did not lose any weight. It is important to note that each of the 7 trees were able to catch on fire by using a single match as the source of ignition. However, the 8th tree could not catch on fire at all with a single match. They then set an entire box of matches on fire and that too could not ignite the tree. Only when they used an open flame with a propane torch did it ignite briefly and then it self extinguished when the torch was moved away! In my humble opinion, I can not imagine any artificial tree manufacturer claiming their trees would produce the same results, do you? Therefore, under the proper conditions of watering your tree daily, away from heat sources, you can expect your real Christmas tree to be healthy, vibrant and safe through the holidays.
When your tree starts dropping needles and turning brown, remove it from the house and dispose of it properly. Live Christmas trees do not last forever, they will eventually die.
Fact #4: Live Christmas trees can be recycled, artificial trees can not.
I have yet to meet a person opposed to recycling. I do not have to be an environmental fanatic to dislike the idea of throwing something away that will not disintegrate for nearly a thousand years if not more. A real tree when its time is up, can be chopped and recycled. Even if it is picked up by your local garbage collector, the tree will be taken to a land fill and will decompose the way trees are supposed to. Artificial trees do not decompose because they are made of materials such as plastic, and plastics will not decompose, at least in this millennium.
Fact #5: Christmas tree farms are NOT devastating our tree supply.
In an industry which survives on selling trees, businesses need to make sure their supply is always available. Therefore those that grow the trees, often wholesalers, often plant 2 trees for every 1 tree that is removed. Not only is that simply good business sense, but it is reassuring to know that indeed, no forests are being devastated by the real Christmas tree industry.
Those are the 5 main facts I have learned. For myself and my family, when Christmas time rolls around and it is time buy a tree, I know which direction I will be driving. My choice is not based on nostalgia of my childhood days, and it will not be for the wonderful aroma a fresh tree can give to a room, instead it is for the sheer fact I now trust a "wet" Christmas tree over an artificial fake tree when it comes to keeping my holiday safe.
Have a happy and safe Christmas season.
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