Festive fire risks

If you're starting to feel festive and have opted to celebrate with a real Christmas tree, remember - if a real Christmas tree is allowed to dry out, it can become a fire hazard in your home. Keep the tree well-watered as this can significantly reduce the severity of the fire, if it catches alight. 

Choosing your tree: 

Needles should be green and hard to pull back from the branches and shouldn't break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. To test if a tree is old, you should bounce the tree trunk on the ground. If lots of needles fall off, it has probably dried out, and it's a fire hazard.

Tree maintenance: 

Don't place your tree close to a heat source, like a fireplace or heat vent. It will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited. Don't drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Don't put your tree up too early and keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

Disposing of your tree: 

Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood burning stove as moisture and sap can cause them to burn violently and small explosions can occur that can propel embers across a room. When the tree dries out, discard it straight away. You can take it to a recycling centre or have it taken away by a charity, or community pickup service.

If your tree does catch light, do not try to tackle a fire. Get out, stay out and call 999.