How Safe Are Fresh Christmas Trees? Just as Safe as Artificial Trees, Says Study

Buying a live, fresh cut holiday tree is just as safe as having an artificial tree, according to a recent press release. As long as the real tree was fresh, and kept watered, the fire hazards were the same.

Researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) studied more than 180 fresh cut, live trees to see if they were a greater fire hazard than artificial trees. His results? Safe. Fresh cut live trees are safe as long as you trim the bottom when you get the tree home, and keep it watered.

They caution that buying a tree off of any tree lot could be trouble. Researchers define a "fresh cut" tree as one that has been cut within one or two weeks of its purchase. Trees that have been cut earlier than this can still be safe if they have been stored outdoors, and have not dehydrated.

Trees can dry out quickly, becoming a fire hazard. If they don't have enough water to retain their moisture, "you're asking for trouble," researchers said. If a live tree does not have water, it will dry out and be very easy to ignite and burn.

It is important to buy a tree from a reputable Christmas tree grower, cut your own, or know when your tree was cut and how it was cared for before buying it. Trim the trunk when you bring it home, and keep it watered.

They advised that once a tree is cut, it has the ability to form a seal, just like the human body forms a scab. If the tree is stored in a cool place and is protected from the sun and wind, the tree can retain its moisture.

About the study

This study was conducted over a time frame of six weeks, during the winter months. The trees that were included in the study were housed inside a Youth Building at the New York State Fairgrounds, which is located in Syracuse, New York.

Five popular species of trees, most often used as Christmas trees, were studied. These included the balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Scotch pine (also known as a Scots pine), and the white spruce.

Some of the trees that were studied simply sat on the floor, while others were kept in buckets of water. Some of the trees that were kept in buckets of water actually started to grow and sprout buds after the six weeks in water.

Researchers took regular samples of needles from all of the trees involved in this study. They wanted to check the moisture content of these needles. Needles were weighed and dried in an oven in the laboratory. After they were dried, their weight was taken again. This told the researchers how much moisture had been lost.

They included trees that had been standing on holiday tree lots, but had not been sold during the holiday season, in this study. These trees were kept outdoors before the study and had retained enough moisture to be considered safe.

Source:
http://www.newswise.com/p/articles/view/535404/