If You Place Christmas Trees and Candles Incorrectly, You Might Meet Firefighters Instead of Santa Claus

Christmas Tree Fire Incident in Uijeongbu
Extinguished in 20 Minutes, Approximately 25 Million Won in Property Damage
High Flammability of Tree... Absolutely No Candles Nearby

As the year-end approaches, a fire broke out in a Christmas tree installed inside a home, causing residents of an apartment to inhale smoke and evacuate, resulting in damage. Caution is necessary as related accidents frequently occur during the winter season.

According to the fire authorities on the 21st, a fire occurred around 5:35 PM the previous day on the 9th floor of a 17-story apartment building in Yonghyeon-dong, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi-do. Five residents of the apartment inhaled smoke and were transported to a nearby hospital, and a total of 18 people, including them, evacuated outside the building.

A fire broke out in a Christmas tree installed inside a home for the year-end, causing apartment residents to inhale smoke and evacuate, resulting in damage. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Pixabay]

The fire was extinguished in about 20 minutes, but household goods and other items were burned, causing an estimated property damage of 25 million KRW according to the fire station.

Currently, the police and fire authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire, which is believed to have started from electrical devices decorated on the Christmas tree.

Christmas Tree Fires Can Spread to Large Fires, Caution Needed

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released a video in 2019 showing a Christmas tree engulfing the entire living room in flames in about 20 seconds.
[Photo by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) YouTube]

As the year-end approaches, the number of households installing Christmas trees is increasing. Most Christmas trees installed at home are made of artificial trees with plastic materials. These plastic material trees emit toxic gases when a fire occurs and can quickly spread the fire, so special caution is required.

In particular, candles or tealights should not be placed near the Christmas tree, as the fire can spread to the Christmas decorations and the tree. Additionally, when taking out a stored Christmas tree, the wiring of the decorative lights should be carefully checked. If the wires are tangled, resistance can occur at the tangled parts, generating heat.

In 2018, there was a burn accident involving an infant caused by a Christmas tree in an apartment in Incheon. A one-year-old child played with the wires decorated on the tree and bit a bulb attached to the wire, which then exploded with a 'pop,' causing burns around the mouth and requiring hospital treatment.

In Guatemala, five public officials died from electric shock by high voltage current while decorating a Christmas tree.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.