It’s a holly jolly time to be setting up a Christmas tree for the holidays but individuals should remember that there are some fire safety concerns to keep in mind.  Price City Fire Chief Fitzgerald Petersen wants to make sure that this holiday season is safe for all residents in the Carbon County area.

If you choose to put up a fresh cut tree in your home there are some extra precautions that need to be taken. “Let’s talk about a couple of things you need to do if you’re going to go back to a real tree that is the most important thing is to keep it watered. Because if it dries out, your opportunity to meet your local fire department just increased,” said Chief Petersen. It’s not a bad idea to give your fresh tree a brand-new chop before setting it up in your home. This will allow for the freshwater to be absorbed better with a nice clean cut. The first 24 to 48 hours of a fresh tree is key to making sure it absorbs enough moisture and keep it fresh.

Another thing to be concerned about is making sure that your lights are in good working order, no frayed ends or missing bulbs. “Going to LED serves a couple of purposes its just effectiveness, maybe some cost-saving, but certainly safety, there’s no comparison. The standard for selling them now is higher now than it was a decade ago. So they have to be tested by underwriter laboratories or something more comparable – so they’re much safer,” said Chief Petersen. If any lights don’t work or any of the cords are frayed or damaged, throw them out immediately. Do not try to repair them yourself.

It’s important to watch your pets as they sometimes like to chew on the wires of the lights. “Keep an eye on the pets, they have to understand that its off-limits and make they are unplugged when you leave because if the dog or cat or any pet chews through that while you’re gone, you’re going to have more than one problem, it could be devastating,” said Chief Petersen. Another important factor to remember is to never overload extension cords because this can also become a fire hazard and never run cords across walk areas as this can pose a tripping hazard.

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