Is my Christmas tree a fire hazard?

In short yes, your Christmas tree is a fire hazard!

Christmas! The sound of jingling bells, the smell of pine and cinnamon in the air and hopefully the sight of snow on Christmas morning…

If you’re like me, you will have already ‘decked the halls’ with tinsel and baubles galore in every room of the house! If not, you might be thinking of putting them up soon as Christmas is around the corner.

Either way, have you ever thought that decorations can be dangerous? Aside from inspiring festive cheer and Christmas spirit, decorations are extra hazards in the home so extra precautions must be taken in order to keep this the season of celebration.

1 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms

• Check your alarms are working properly by pushing that test button
• If you have a log burner or gas boiler, make sure you have a working CO alarm

2 Christmas Trees

• Real trees must be taken care of, water them regularly to stop them from drying out
• Whether real or artificial, don’t place trees near heaters or fireplaces

3 Fairy Lights

• Make sure you don’t overload your plug sockets
• Check that your cables aren’t damaged
• Turn lights off when leaving the house or going to sleep

4 Decorations

• Place decorations away from heaters and candles
• Keep in mind that they are often made of flammable materials

Be safe this Christmas, test your alarms and ensure they are working.

If you need more information, visit our Technical Support section for FAQs and handy How-to videos www.aico.co.uk/technical-support/.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Aico!

by Dave

Dave is a member of our technical team; he has a very impressive 25 years of experience of working within the industry. Dave in his spare time enjoys all things fishing!