MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A local fire department shared tips on how homeowners can keep their Christmas decorations from ending up in flames.
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The Miami Valley Fire District invited News Center 7’s John Bedell to show how quickly things can become dangerous inside a home if people aren’t careful with their Christmas trees.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, our crews got an up-close and simulated look at what an uncontrolled burn would look like in someone’s house.
The flames started small, but spread quickly across the tree, then exploded all over the room.
It’s what firefighters call a flashover.
“You can see how fast these gases are coming out of here and how hot it gets,” one firefighter said.
Miami Valley Fire District crews extinguished the simulated fire shortly after.
Battalion Chief Brett Beach with the Miami Valley Fire District, which serves Miamisburg and Miami Township, was one of the firefighters who ensured the simulation was safe.
Those who have a real tree should keep it watered and check the lights.
“(And make sure) the wires aren’t frayed, no broken bulbs, and that you’re not stacking a bunch of wires onto one single source, right? So that those, those lines don’t heat up,” Beach said.
It’s important to make sure no open flames are near the tree.
Beach said the division has seen fires just like this in the community recently.
“We had a Christmas Eve fire a couple of years ago, where we had a Christmas tree that caught on fire. There was an open flame next to it caught on fire. Residents thankfully were able to get out, and we were able to put a quick stop on it, but it gets really hot, really fast,” he said.
If you have a fire where you live, firefighters stress the importance of having an escape plan to quickly get away from the toxic smoke and carbon monoxide and call 911.
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