Do you leave your Christmas tree lit all night long? A firefighter's wife, who makes educational TikToks about fire hazards, is here to warn you against that and some other common Christmas tree practices.
In a video with over 14,000 views, Jess (@unhingedreviewswjess) lists the various ways Christmas trees can start a house fire.
She first comes for people who plug their tree's lights into a power strip, rather than directly into the wall outlet.
"Don't use a power strip around your Christmas tree unless you want to burn your house down," she says, holding up a power strip.
While using a power strip for holiday decorations can be safe, there are a few things to be mindful of. Delaware Online specifically warns against overloading these power strips by using every single outlet.
Several businesses that specialize in electrical services note that if you are using a power strip for holiday decorations, it's important to get one with an on-and-off switch. "That way, if the strip gets overloaded, it will turn itself off instead of tripping your home’s breaker," Express Electrical Services notes.
Viewers shared they use power strips during the holiday season. "I have power strips everywhere," one shared.
Next, she recommends inspecting the lights before putting them on a Christmas tree. "Don't forget to check your Christmas tree for broken light bulbs before you put them on the tree," she says, showing a broken orange bulb.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, 770 fires occur per year due to damaged Christmas lights. The unprotected light can overheat and melt the wires, which is a fire hazard. If the filament inside the broken bulb is left uncovered, it can burst into flames when next to flammable objects.
Jess also warns against leaving your Christmas tree lights on 24/7. "Don't forget to unplug your lights before you go to sleep or leave the house," she warns.
By leaving your tree plugged in for extended periods of time, the bulbs can overheat and start a fire.
"My led tree stays one 2 months in a row never had a problem every single year," one viewer exclaimed.
Despite LED Christmas lights being a tad safer, more energy efficient, and longer lasting than incandescent Christmas lights, there is still a fire risk associated with them.
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, up to 30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. per year.
"If you're getting into the Christmasy season and you get a live tree, get an able body with a chainsaw to trim the trunk of the tree before you set it up in your house," Jess recommends.
Penn State Extension recommends trimming the tree if it's been more than 12 hours after the harvest. Only removing a fourth of the trunk will make it easier to put it into the stand. Furthermore, do not cut at an angle or in a V-shape because it will make it difficult to place the tree in the stand and for the tree to absorb water.
Speaking of water, the content creator adds, "Don't forget to water it. Those things can take up a gallon of water a day."
A dehydrated tree is more flammable and poses a greater fire risk. The size, climate, species, location, and freshness of the tree will determine how much water it needs. East River Nursery states that the longer the tree's needles are, the more water it requires.
A fresh tree would need "1 quart of water per day for each inch of diameter on the cut end. A typical 7-foot-tall tree may have a 3-inch trunk diameter, so will need up to 3 quarts of water per day," per Michigan State University.
"I get it. You have a small house, limited space. You wanna put up a Christmas tree. Don't put it close to heat sources," she says. "Candles, space heaters, fireplaces, cigars."
About 25% of Christmas tree fires are due to the trees being too close to heat sources, according to Cavallo & Signoriello Insurance Agency. It's recommended that Christmas trees be at least three feet away from any heat source.
"Don't put off properly disposing your Christmas tree after Christmas is over unless, you know, you wanna kinda start neglecting it and accidentally starting a fire to burn your house to the ground," Jess says.
Because Christmas trees can be decomposed, the safest way to discard your tree is to take it to a recycling center two weeks after Christmas. Before doing so, be sure to remove all of the decorations and lights.
Jess warns against letting your guard drop after Christmas.
"Almost just as many Christmas tree fires happen in January as they do in December," Jess adds.
Indeed, the National Fire Protection Association confirmed that 41% of Christmas tree fires happen in December and 33% happen in January.
The Daily Dot reached out to Jess via TikTok comment and direct message.
@unhingedreviewswjess Nothing ruins the Christmas season like everything santa brought you being burnt up in a fire, along with everything else you own. #christmascountdown #christmastiktok #firefighter #needtoknow #homeowner #diyprojects ♬ original sound - Jess
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post ‘I have power strips everywhere’: Firefighter’s wife shares the truth about Christmas trees appeared first on The Daily Dot.
