’Tis The Season: Christmas Tree Fire Hazard

Within 30 seconds, the fake living room — all 10 feet of it, including the live Christmas tree in the corner — was engulfed in flames. The ceiling temperature was reported to be above 1,000 degrees at that point of the fire. “Nobody can survive that,” said Battalion Chief T.J. McLamb, the fire marshal for the Fayetteville Fire Department. After 40 seconds, firefighters started to hose it down. Fortunately, no one was in that ersatz living room at one end of a parked 20-foot trailer. It was a room without a fire sprinkler. On the other end was another fake living room, designed with the same typical set-up that included a Christmas tree, presents, small table, couch and Christmas stockings fastened to the wall. The difference was, that room was equipped with a fire sprinkler.