Ever wonder if you need to water your Christmas tree regularly?  The answer is Yes!

The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission is hoping to warn folks of the dangers their Christmas tree can present this holiday season.  Real Christmas trees can turn in to a fireball of disaster without proper and regular watering.

The video above serves as evidence to that fact.  Watch as two real trees were placed side-by-side, one was watered every day, and the other was left alone.  A firefighting crew then provided a spark to each tree.  The tree on the right (watered) starts to smolder and smoke, but the one on the left (dry) almost explodes into a fireball and quickly grows out of control.

Here are a few quick safety tips to be aware of:

Make sure your tree is at least 3 feet away from any heat sources, like radiators, fireplaces, and heating vents.

Make sure none of the wires on your lights are frayed and always make sure to turn them off before going to bed and don't be a Griswold!  Plugging too many things into the same outlet or extension cord can cause an electrical fault or wiring failure to occur.

Finally, don't leave your tree up too long.  Once the needles start falling off the tree it's drying out and can become a major fire hazard regardless of how much it gets watered.

If you are planning on getting or have already gotten a real tree this year, be sure to water it regularly.  Christmas trees can suck up as much as a gallon of water a day, so check it often!

Merry Christmas!

Source: NFPA.org

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