Christmas Tree Fires(7:15pm)
By: Brittany Pelletz
Updated: December 22, 2008
Abilene has seen many Christmas tree fires. Living in the dry West Texas climate that we live in, it's even more important to keep putting water in that tree stand.
The central air and heat contribute to the drying out of Christmas trees.
While Christmas trees are enjoyable holiday decorations, they can also be very dangerous.
The Abilene Fire Department put on a demonstration, where they lit both a well-watered tree and a tree that hadn't been watered.
The well-watered tree barely caught fire after a match was put to a branch.
However, when a match was held to a dry one, the tree went up in flames in a matter of minutes.
Gary Hamner, an Abilene Firefighter reccomends watering your Christmas tree atleast once a day.
When the holidays are over, it is also extremely important to be aware of your surroundings when you're taking the tree down.
Be aware of any open flames, but also of even dragging the Christmas tree across the carpet after weeks of being kept in doors.






