It's the season for giving, and as the Nashville gears up to decorate their homes for the holiday season, firefighters are reminding residents that there are dangers associated with Christmas decorations.
"A lot of times when we get Christmas trees we want to place them right near the fireplace. But we have to be mindful of that because if we have them right by the fire place, that could be too close," said Maggie Lawrence, Nashville Fire Department, Deputy Fire Marshal.
Lawrence says it's important to water your tree everyday, because in a matter of minutes your spruce, pine, or fir could go up in flames.
In a couple of minutes the Christmas tree the Nashville Fire Department used for the demonstration was reduced to ashes, and the Chief training officer tells us a tree that's inside a home, will ignite a lot faster.
"The temperatures are going to go up a lot quicker, and once you get to a point in the room where it reaches it's emission point then the whole room will just go simultaneously," said Scott Lively, Nashville Fire Department, Training Academy Chief.
So far, the fire department has not had to respond to any Christmas tree fires over the last two years, and they hope to keep it that way.
Trees should be kept about three feet away from anything that could cause it to ignite. Also, make sure your Christmas lights are for indoor use only.
