PETAL, Miss.–Don’t let your Mississippi Christmas tree be the cause of a big family disaster, namely fire. Petal Fire Chief Joe Hendrie said Wednesday that if you have a real, live christmas tree, like the Griswalds, you run a higher risk of it catching up and burning your house.
So, you have to be careful and exercise a little common sense.
“On a live tree it’s best to get as fresh as you can,” said Hendrie. “Keep it watered so that it won’t dry out. If it gets dry it’s easier to catch fire. It flashes through the needles.”
Hendrie said that even though fires still happen with trees, they are not as common as they used to be.
“One out of three are cause by electrical issues and one out of six are caused by having an heat source too close to the three.”
He also said that the newer LED lights are safer than the older incandescent bulbs. They don’t burn quite as hot.
Besides Christmas trees, Hendrie said you should also be extra careful when cooking. Cooking mistakes are the number one cause of house fires.
