See how quickly a Christmas tree can catch fire
Firefighters in Corner Brook used a real Christmas tree and a mock living room to remind people how fast tragedy can strike during the holiday season over the weekend.
Deputy fire Chief Craig Harnum said he was surprised at how quickly the room was engulfed in flames.
"Within less than a minute, actually, it was an unsurvivable fire for any residents in the home," Harnum said of the public demonstration.
The firefighters used a mock living room decorated with a real tree, presents and a couch to show how dangerous a dried-out Christmas tree can be.
A gift under the tree was set alight, and as the flames spread the intense heat from the tree quickly combined with materials in the couch to create a full-blown fire.
"Within seconds the whole place just erupted into a ball of fire," Harnum said.
Eye-opening experience
Harnum said it's an important reminder to anyone with a real Christmas tree that they require the proper attention after they are decorated.
"We don't want to discourage people buying a real tree. They're beautiful; they just need to be maintained."
Harnum said farmed trees in particular need a lot of water because they are often cut weeks before they land in someone's living room.
He said one of the main signs of a dry tree is if needles start to fall from the branches, and the easiest thing to do is just keep the tree watered.
"If you're continually filling up the water bowl under the tree, you just need to keep filling it until the tree stops drinking."
Not just real trees
"There's nothing 100 per cent safe," cautioned Harnum.
Though the focus of the demonstration was to show the dangers a real tree can cause, he said artificial trees have problems too.
"If things are not properly done, or electrical cords are not properly used, or candles are used — they've been known to actually catch fire as well."
Harnum also said people should be cautious not to overload power bars and extension cords, and to consider switching their Christmas lights to LED.
