Xmass tree fire hazard creasote cleaner

Logging logginglogging · January 04, 2013, 08:42:01 AM

We got our tree pretty early this year and we keep our house quite warm. I worry all xmass season about potential firehazards because of it. Anyway every year I usually just burn the tree in the stove when we are done with it, This year however I threw in a couple of branches and they flamed up so quickly and hot that the stove even sot up above normal temp. I dident dare burn the tree in the stove since i figured it might even cause it to boil over. I did however save a few small branches, and when I start to see any creasote builsing up. i simply throw a branch in that area and if burns it right up. Just as a test I put the rest of the tree out on the lawn and lit it with one small spark of a lighter, and it burned hot as a tourch. This always scares me how we have thes in our house with lights wraped around it. However the wife will have nothing but a real tree.

r.man · January 04, 2013, 09:09:59 AM

We keep lots of water in the tree, fairly new lights on the tree and nobody smokes inside or outside my house. Having said that the tree always burns well in the stove. We have switched to smaller trees in the past few years so two wacks with the ax and the whole thing goes in the owb. Whoosh and smoke. Was at the local grocery store 1/2 hour later and noticed the smell of burning spruce. Only 1/4 mile to my owb.

firechief · January 04, 2013, 01:32:05 PM

I'll agree with r.man, the key to Christmas trees is water,water,water even up to several times a day. We used to use a live tree for years and even with constant watering they still appeared dry. After seeing too many Christmas tree fires in my 26 year fire career, we switched to an artificial tree and for me, couldnt be happier or safer.

Ianab · January 04, 2013, 02:22:46 PM

New LED lights run MUCH cooler and lower voltage / current than the older lights.

Probably worth switching to those just for fire safety reasons.

Ian

Logging logginglogging · January 04, 2013, 04:01:02 PM

yes we also keep well watered.... and newer lights... but stuff can happen

stumper · January 04, 2013, 04:52:14 PM

Ya our christmas tree warms the house twice also. Once warming the hearts and souls in celebration of his birth and life, and once again in the boiler.

KBforester · January 04, 2013, 07:58:17 PM

That's why when I'm camping the first thing I do when I set down my gear is to look for dead balsam fir. An arm full of dead (red rust colored) fir branches will light right up even wet. Good survival material.

jerry sundberg · January 05, 2013, 08:16:40 AM

The key to keeping a tree fresh is to add a can of 7up(not diet) and two bayer asprins to the water every week.Also make a fresh cut to the base of the trunk before you put it in the stand.

thecfarm · January 05, 2013, 08:23:44 AM

We use to have a fresh tree. Until one year we had kinda of a dry summer. The tree took water for about 4 days and than it stopped taking water.

That was not a good December. Never had any problems before that.The wife likes it up the very first of December. So for about 3 weeks we had a cinder box in our house. We went and brought a fake one. But she also like to parade me around the Christmas Tree Farm to find that "perfect" tree and than get it home only to hear,If I would of seen that spot I would not of got it.

Logging logginglogging · January 07, 2013, 10:10:15 AM

Quote from: thecfarm on January 05, 2013, 08:23:44 AM
We use to have a fresh tree. Until one year we had kinda of a dry summer. The tree took water for about 4 days and than it stopped taking water. That was not a good December. Never had any problems before that.The wife likes it up the very first of December. So for about 3 weeks we had a cinder box in our house. We went and brought a fake one. But she also like to parade me around the Christmas Tree Farm to find that "perfect" tree and than get it home only to hear,If I would of seen that spot I would not of got it.

oh yeah i heard of the 7up and asprin thing before but forgot.