The SmokeShutoff power strip could keep a malfunctioning tree from torching the house.

This Christmas tree burns me up

AROUND THE HOUSE

Becky Emmons

…… My tree ended up at the Clay Fire Territory Station 2 on Auten Road. It was one of those situations where my husband mentioned our weird tree to someone, and the next thing he knew, he was talking to Clay Fire Chief Timm Schabbel and hauling the tree up to the Auten Road station.

There it fell into the hands of a curious Dave Cherrone, Clay’s fire marshal. Among Cherrone’s duties is putting on fire safety demonstrations, and my tree just may end up in a demonstration next fall.

Cherrone was intrigued with the problem. As we had done, he plugged in the tree and discovered that one bulb started smoking and sparking.

He’s been eager to get to the bottom of the problem, but one of his dilemmas is that nowhere could he find the brand name. And, remember, I had kept none of the paperwork.

“These pre-lit trees are becoming more and more popular,” Cherrone said. “People buy them but don’t think of the fact that something might go wrong. I hadn’t heard of this problem before. It interested me. It was nothing you’d ever see just looking at the tree. The problem is in the receptacle, not in the bulb itself.”

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A fire suspected of being caused by faulty lighting in a Christmas tree burned this home on the 33100 block of Marina Vista in Dana Point. The family, who was in the home when the fire began, is said to have escaped the fire unharmed thanks to smoke detector warnings.

CHRIS DAINES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Firefighters fight 3 blazes

Published December 29, 2008

A fire early Saturday morning that destroyed a home on Fruit Farm Road was one of three blazes over the extended Christmas weekend.

According to Fort Payne Assistant Fire Chief Rick Gilbreath, firefighters responded to 421 Fruit Farm Road at about 2:15 a.m. and remained on the scene for about two and a half hours.

“There was a lot of heavy damage in the living room and kitchen area,” Gilbreath said. “The fire had started down the hallway to the bedrooms. I am sure there was heavy smoke damage throughout the house.”

Gilbreath said the family was visiting relatives at the time the fire started.

“It was believed to have started around the Christmas tree,” Gilbreath said. “They had a live Christmas tree and left the lights plugged in and unattended.”

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My SmokeShutoff power strip could have shut off the charger, preventing this fire.

A church was badly damaged when a battery charger used to power its nativity scene caught fire.

More than 30 firemen spent over two hours battling the blaze at Hollington Methodist Church, St Leonards early today.

But fire chiefs said the fact that the church had a smoke alarm was a “blessing in disguise” which saved it from being gutted.

The church building in Old Church Road, St Leonards, was full of thick smoke when fire crews arrived on scene just after 3am.

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a minor fire, also on Monday, caused by an overheated set of Christmas lights caused a stir at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Makati City.The Makati Fire Department said the blaze started at 12:13 pm at the hotel’s third floor, and was put out by hotel personnel and responding firemen eight minutes later, at 12:21 pm.

City fire marshal Supt. Jose Imbang, Jr., said no one was reported hurt in that fire that started at the third floor’s elevator landing area where a Christmas tree stood.

Citing information provided by several hotel personnel, he said the blinking lights in the Christmas tree sparked, and after a few minutes, fire engulfed the six-foot tall décor.

The smoke ignited the hotel’s fire sprinkler system, preventing it to spread to the floor and adjacent rooms, fire investigators said.

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Posted on December 23, 2008, 10:10am ,  0 views

The Metropolitan Fire Service has warned people to make sure that adequate ventilation is provided to transformers which are commonly used for Christmas tree lights.

The warning follows a house fire attributed to an item being placed over a transformer which caused it to overheat.

Two people were asleep inside the two-storey home when the fire broke out in an upstairs bedroom.

Fire cause investigator Greg Smithsonmore at LINK

My power strip might have shut those lights off before flames erupted.

An early morning fire yesterday may have served as an early warning during the holiday season.

Hanover County fire officials said that working smoke detectors in a subdivision home likely saved the life of the home’s lone occupant.

But apparently faulty lighting on a Christmas tree may have started the blaze that caused some $230,000 in damage.

Fire officials said any old or brittle lights should be thrown away, as well as those with faulty bulbs or bad plugs. And trees should be kept watered.

The fire yesterday in the Cherrydale subdivision in the 6300 block of Shea Tree Circle off Pole Green Road left the one-story home seriously damaged. The owner, whose son was staying elsewhere, was alone in the house and awakened by smoke detectors, Jones said.

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fire investigators said lights on a dried-out Christmas tree apparently sparked the early morning blaze that killed 18-year-old xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx and badly burned two kids.

Fire investigation crews look over a section of the roof that collapsed this morning. Photo by Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
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Followup:
Investigators not sure it was the Christmas tree wiring now. I’ll post a different cause if they find one.

Earlier comment:
Sad story.  Christmas trees are so dangerous. I don’t know if my power strip could have prevented this fire by turning off the lights at the first sign of fire. I don’t know if the lights were on, whether an electrical device sparked the blaze, or if there was a bit of smoldering before the tree ignited.

Lynchburg, VA - A Campbell County family will not have Christmas at home this year.  Fire destroyed the Adams‘ home on English Tavern Road around one Monday afternoon.  Fire officials say it started after a surge protector caught fire, burning down the Christmas tree and all the presents underneath.  Fortunately no one was home at the time, and they do have insurance.  more at LINK

Surge protectors aren’t supposed to catch fire.  There’s a lot of unsafe electronics out there getting used without being tested to UL standards.

By Victor O’Brien
Killeen Daily Herald

….
On Dec. 12, a fire in the 200 block of Reece Creek Road severely injured one of Bess’ five friends and destroyed the doublewide mobile home they shared.

The fire is believed to have started because of a Christmas tree.

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