Christmas Trees at Art Knapp (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

HOLIDAY SAFETY

Overloaded power bars and Christmas trees can lead to holiday disasters

Dec 14, 2023 | 7:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — With snow falling to the ground Thursday (Dec. 14), the holiday season is well underway in Kamloops. Christmas is less than two short weeks away, with living rooms being transformed with beautiful Christmas trees. But both real and artificial Christmas trees come with safety concerns and fire risks.

Every year, Kamloops Fire Rescue responds to holiday-related fire calls. And while they are not always the source of the blaze, Christmas trees can help spread the fire if not properly picked out and cared for at home.

“If you are going to get a real tree, you obviously want to make sure its a fresh tree, a healthy tree, so make sure the needles are green, look at the trunk and see if it has resin on it. That usually a good sign that it’s a fresh, healthy tree,” said KFR Life Safety Educator Jeff Pont. “When you get it home you want to make sure you place it somewhere where there is nothing that could heat it up or burn it. Keep it watered because trees that aren’t watered can and will burn.”

While artificial trees can be cheaper, Pont stressed the importance of knowing exactly what you’re purchasing to place in your home.

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“If you are going to get a fake tree — I mean myself, I love real trees — but if you are going to get a fake one its important to look at the label and make sure it’s a fire resistant tree. And then again, don’t use anything that could heat it up and burn it,” said Pont.

In addition to the trees, the biggest issue Kamloops Fire sees during the holiday season, is overloaded power bars sparking fires, and ruining Christmas.

“People want to have their big lights up and their big display, which is awesome. I love looking at them. But often, they don’t use enough outlets and overload circuits and that can be a real problem. It can heat up and start fires,” stated Pont.