Dry trees could cause your Christmas to go up in smoke - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Dry trees could cause your Christmas to go up in smoke

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December 8, 2007

Albany -- Many of you will make your way through a Christmas tree lot to look for the right one. "When you see it, you know its the tree you are suppose to have," said William Denson. 

But when you find the perfect tree, its important to maintain it. " You have to vacuum some. They do shed a little bit. So you will always be picking up needles," said Denson. 

"Just put it in water, make sure it has enough water and keep the dogs away from it," said Brandon Rix.

Sounds simple enough, but making sure your tree has the right amount of moisture can save your life.

"You can feel the bristles coming off it, and when they start to dry out it can become dangerous," said Captain Leverett of the Albany Fire Department. "It goes up just like gasoline. It burns very fast."

"When it gets dry at the end of Christmas they will blaze up pretty good," said Paul Eames.

The amount of water isn't the only thing to keep a look out for. "Be sure that when you replace any bulbs on your lights that you use the right wattage. Also make sure that none of your wires are frayed," said Captain Leverett.

And what you see in the lot may not be what you get. "Basically, they put some kind of chemical, like a paint, that makes a tree look greener and fresher when its really not," said Captain Leverett.

And at the end of the season when your tree starts to dry out, be sure to recycle it. So your family won't become a statistic.

Firefighters say you should put up indoor lights on your Christmas tree. Those lights should have a  U-L tag showing they have been U-L tested.

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