What could be more festive or fun than a beautiful, live tree twinkling with lights gracing your living room during the holiday season? It's just not Christmas without the tree and, for some people, that tree must be real.
A real, live tree is a beauty to behold and, though it can require more upkeep, is often worth the extra hassle just to enjoy the smell of pine and the look that only a real tree can provide.
Along with that extra cleanup, however, comes extra safety precautions. Let Alarm Center provide you with the information and tips you need to keep your home and loved ones safe this Christmas season.
The first thing to remember about natural trees is that there is a significantly higher fire risk than with artificial trees, which have often been treated with flame-retardant materials.
Christmas tree fires, though rare, are - according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - more hazardous. When they do occur, they cause more damage and have a higher likelihood of causing death. In fact, according to the NFPA report, Home Christmas Tree and Holiday Light Fires:
On average, one of every 18 reported home structure Christmas tree fires resulted in a death compared to an average of one death per 141 total reported home structure fires.
What the NFPA found is that natural trees kept moist and regularly watered are "are unlikely to catch fire unintentionally".
To show just how quickly a dry tree can go up in flames and fire can consume the room it is in, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) put out this important, yet terrifying, video demonstration:
And while you may have seen the above video, you might not be aware of it's equally important and eye-opening cousin, which shows a shocking side-by-side comparison of both a dry and a properly maintained "wet" tree catching fire.
Both videos, and more information, can be found on the NIST's informative Fire Safety for the Holidays page. Other pages with equally good information that we recommend you check out:
You can also review this handy, visual guide, Christmas Tree Safety, compiled by the NFPA. Click here for a printable .pdf version.
We here at Alarm Center want to help keep you, your home, and especially your loved ones safe this holiday season - and always! Check back here for more safety information and tips to help you do just that year-round.
[Call Alarm Center Security today for a FREE quote on a security system for your home or business - 1-800-97-ALARM - or visit our website to see if you qualify for a $0 down installation - alarm.net]
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Perhaps you have moved into a new home that has an alarm system already installed, or maybe you had an alarm system installed yourself years ago but have never, or no longer have, it monitored. You have decided you would like your home to be monitored, but aren't sure if you have to get an entire new system installed or if an alarm company can work with what is already there.
Alarm Center has the solution! We can monitor any system, no matter who installed it!
Our customers are monitored through our local U.L. Listed and Approved Central Station; the largest in Baton Rouge. Central Station is never offline and so reliable that it stayed online and functional through Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Issac, keeping our customers safe during and after the storms.
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Alarm Center offers flexible solutions for your security needs, whether you're a homeowner who wants to keep their loved ones and possessions safe or a business owner with commercial property to protect. We work with each client individually to build a protection plan tailored to your specific needs.
[Call Alarm Center Security today for a FREE quote on a security system for your home or business - 1-800-97-ALARM - or visit our website to see if you qualify for a $0 down installation - alarm.net]
