People love live Christmas trees around the holidays, and it’s easy to see the appeal: they’re festive, they smell nice, and for many, they represent happy memories spent with loved ones on Christmas morning.
But when dead, they become extremely flammable and can cause or exacerbate a house fire.
To drive this point home, the city of Goodyear staged a brittle, dead Christmas tree on a concrete slab at the Goodyear Fire Training Academy, a pit in the ground where firefighters conduct training exercises.
Surrounded by two fire engines, and with hoses at the ready, Goodyear firefighter Jacob Casillas ignited the tree’s dehydrated branches from below with a traffic flare.
The tree was engulfed in flames almost instantly and seconds later, the brittle pine branches were reduced to ash.
Members of the media were invited to watch the demonstration.
Afterward, Capt. Manny Cordova, who has been with the Goodyear Fire Department for 14 years, spoke of the dangers of allowing Christmas trees to remain inside the home after they have died.
When dead pine trees catch fire in a home, flames can easily travel to drapes, couches and upholstery, Cordova said.
Fire departments in the U.S. respond to around 160 such fires a year, one-third of which happen in the month of January, Cordova said.
Fire danger becomes greater “especially after the holidays,” Cordova said. “The longer the tree has had time to dry out, the potential for fire hazard is increased.”
On Christmas Day a family of five was displaced from their home in Phoenix after flames emanating from their Christmas tree extended to the attic, according to the Arizona Republic.
Christmas tree safety
There are plenty of steps residents can take when it comes to Christmas trees and fire safety. When buying Christmas trees, choose one that looks vibrant and doesn’t easily lose its needles when touched, Cordova said.
Decorative lights are often the ignition source that spark Christmas tree fires. The fire department recommends decorating trees with lights rated for indoor use only.
As December turns to January, and trees start to wilt, residents may be tempted to store their dead trees outside, but the fire department recommends residents not lean trees against their homes or anything else that could easily burn in the event of a fire.
The department does not recommend that residents attempt to burn their dead trees at home.
“Don’t try and burn the tree in your backyard…or in your fireplace,” Cordova said. The residue left behind could ignite future fires.
Residents are encouraged to properly dispose of dead Christmas trees. They can be left outside for monthly bulk trash pick up, or they can be taken to a designated drop-off site.
A to Z Equipment in Avondale, 803 E. Van Buren St., is accepting trees through Jan. 10 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Decorations must be removed before drop-off, and the site only accepts one tree per family.
A to Z Equipment can be reached at 623-925-0200.
Madeline Ackley can be reached at mackley@iniusa.org or found on Twitter @Mkayackley.
Madeline Ackley is a Phoenix-area native who joined Independent Newsmedia in July 2021 as a reporter for the Goodyear-Litchfield Park Independent. She is passionate about delivering hyperlocal coverage of issues that matter to her community.
She has previously covered immigration, policing, homelessness, veteran’s issues and breaking news and her byline has appeared in The Arizona Mirror, The Arizona Republic, The Phoenix Business Journal and Cronkite News.
Madeline is passionate about animal welfare and the environment. She loves to cook, travel and spend time with her family.
Christmas tree,
Christmas tree burning,
fire,
Goodyear,
city of Goodyear,
Goodyear Fire Department,
Manny Cordova,
Jacob Casillas,
holidays,
house fire
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