This holiday season, Hoffman Brothers provides facts and stats about Christmas tree safety and energy efficient heating.
Christmas Tree Facts
- According to the U.S. Fire Administrations (USFA), annually 33 million American households decorate with a natural tree.
- Tannenbaum, árbol de Navidad and Christmas tree share the same meaning in German, Spanish and English, respectively.
- All Christmas trees have an aversion to heat and fire.
Prevalent Causes of Christmas tree Fires
Christmas tree fires are usually the outcome of any of the following oversights:
- Inadequately watered trees
- Flames from candles
- Trees placed in close proximity to heaters and electrical heating systems
- Shorts in electrical lighting
- Outdoor lighting on indoor Christmas trees
- Matches of lighters ignited near trees
Every year, Christmas trees account for:
- $6<>
- 200 fires
- 25 injuries
- 6-deaths
How to shop for a fresh Christmas tree?
Dried out, natural trees are more susceptible to fire-hazards than fake ones. Aside from selecting a tree green in tincture, there are several techniques to shop for a fresh Christmas tree: touch the needles; check the truck butt for stickiness; and, bounce the tree for shedding leaves. Four indications of a fresh Christmas tree, include:
- The needles are supple and don’t break when bent.
- Fresh needles are inflexible and not easy to pull off the branches.
- When the tree is shaken, few leaves fall to the ground.
- The trunk butt has a gummy residue.
Christmas Tree Safety Tips
Prior to leaving the nursery, have the tree trunk trimmed, approximately 1.5 to 2-inches and any unruly branches around the base of the tree.
Meanwhile back at home, place the Christmas tree in a stand, which accommodates water. As for proper placement and fire prevention, do not position the tree near any type of heating system: radiator, kerosene / electrical heaters, and fireplace. Try to situate the Christmas tree in a cool room or space. Remember that heated rooms tend to dry trees out. Finally, don’t forget to fill the tree stand with ample water.
Holiday Savings Tip:
Increase holiday spending by reducing energy costs with a routine heating system tune up. Dust laden filters increase the monthly heating bill by as much as 30 percent. To improve indoor air quality and save on the monthly heating bill, Hoffman Brothers offers a cost effective Maintenance Program, which will help offset the Christmas gift budget. Click “Hoffmann Brothers” to learn about saving utility costs for potentially more holiday cash.
