Do you love a fresh evergreen or fir tree to celebrate the holidays? It may be more work than an artificial tree, but for many people the smell and look of a real tree is worth the extra effort. In our ongoing effort to help you have a happy safe holiday, here are some tips that you may find helpful.

Tree selection: Look for a tree that is still moist and fresh. When selecting a tree:

• Run your hand gently along the branches. Only dry needles should come off in your hand. If green needles do – the tree is too dry to be safe.
• Shake the tree or a section of branches. Green needles should stay on the tree.
• Bend down a needle. It should bend easily and not break.
• The trunk end should be sticky with resin.
• Watch out for trees that have green on the trunks or seem almost too green – some sellers will spray paint a tree to make it look fresher than it is.
• Avoid pre-frosted trees. These trees are often sprayed with frost to hide their age.

When you bring your tree home:

• Cut two inches off the bottom to get a fresh open end. The tree needs this to access water.
• Give your tree lots of water. It’s not unusual for a tree to absorb as much as a gallon of water a day for the first few days and a quart of water every day after that.
• Use a very strong and heavy tree holder with enough space in the bowl to hold at least a gallon of water.
• Set the tree at least three feet from any heat source such as fireplaces, radiators or heating vents, portable heaters and older television sets.
• Make sure the tree is very stable. Use wires to attach it to the ceiling or back walls if there are small children or pets that are likely to run into it when playing.
• Make sure your tree doesn’t block any exits.

For tree lights on both real and artificial trees:

• Follow manufacturers’ instructions about how many lights to connect to each other and to one extension cord. As a general rule, no more than three strings of lights should be strung together. Stick with one extension cord per outlet.
• Lights are rated for outdoor or indoor use. Use indoor lights on your tree.
• Dispose of any lights with cords that are starting to fray or have loose or burned out bulbs.
• Make sure your lights have been tested by an independent lab such as Underwriters Laboratories.
• Never decorate your tree with lit candles.
• Turn tree lights off when leaving the house or going to bed.
• Don’t put extension cords under rugs where they may be stepped on – they can get damaged over time and become a hazard.
• Make sure extension cords are not placed where they could be tripping hazards.
• Keep your electric connections as far as possible from your tree’s water source.

If you have a real tree, the most important thing you can do is keep that tree fresh and wet. A dry tree can ignite in three seconds, be engulfed in flames in five seconds, and create a room full of flames in 40 seconds. A tree that is kept fresh and wet, on the other hand, is almost impossible to light.

According to tests conducted by the U.S. Fire Administration, an entire book of matches couldn’t ignite a wet tree and even a blow torch only kept a wet tree lit while it was directly on the tree. (Needless to say – do not try this at home!) If you want to see the impact of fire on a dry and wet tree, check out the videos at this site and leave your tree alone!

With some care and planning, you can have a lovely, happy and safe holiday season. And we wish you all a wonderful time!