I am a fan of the good ol’ fashion fake tree. Nothing says Happy Holiday’s like the smell of, well… plastic. But as I understand it, there are some 33 million American homes that go the natural route with their tree selection. However, improperly hydrated Christmas trees can pose a very real safety concern. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, “Christmas trees account for 200 fires annually, resulting in 6 deaths, 25 injuries and more than $6 million in property damage.”

Simple fire prevention tips
Prevention is, obviously, the best approach. If you have a natural tree, make sure to keep it watered. A wet tree is a safe tree. In fact, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) created this very telling side-by-side comparison of the flamability of a dry tree vs. a tree that had been watered regularly.

Protecting what’s important
The next step is protection. In the event that there is a fire, easily accessable fire extinguishers and planned exit routes for the family could be a matter of life and death.

Any working smoke detector is a plus (remember to test the batteries regularly), but having a more advanced system that can send alerts to you anywhere is a healthy step in reduntant protection. A SecurityProbe could be set up to take pictures of your tree and send them along with a text or email to your iPhone or Blackberry. That way you know exactly what the situation is back at home, even while you are at the mall doing your last minute shopping. It can even be set up to make an outgoing call with Skype to ensure that you and your local fire department are on the scene as soon as physically possible.

So don’t forget, while enjoying a beautiful Christmas tree can set the mood for a joyous holiday like nothing else, safety measures do need to be taken. Make sure to protect your home or office by follow a few simple steps.

~ Jon Mills
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