An event to keep families and their homes safe this holiday season was the goal of a live Christmas Tree Burn Trailer Fire Sprinkler Demonstration on Dec. 20 at Sprinkler Fitters Local 692, 14004 McNulty Rd.
The demonstration was co-sponsored by the PEN/JER/DEL Chapter of the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the Philadelphia Fire Department and Sprinkler Fitters Local 692.
Dave Kurasz, executive director, PEN/JER/DEL Chapter of NFSA, said the fire safety demonstration showed in real time how quickly a dry Christmas tree can catch fire and spread, and how effective a fire sprinkler system can control the blaze.
About one-third of Christmas tree fires take place in January, according to the NFSA, emphasizing the importance of promptly disposing of dried-out trees after the holiday.
The Christmas Tree Burn Demonstration featured a trailer with two rooms with a dry Christmas tree, holiday decorations, furniture and smoke alarms. The difference was one room had a fire sprinkler system, and the other did not. A fire was lit in both rooms to show how quickly dry trees can ignite and how fast fire can spread. The room without sprinklers showed how fast Christmas tree fires can travel to the rest of the room and pose danger to loved ones and destroy property. The room equipped with fire sprinklers demonstrated how quickly and efficiently sprinklers control the fire – in this case, 12 seconds – giving families extra time to escape and reducing potential fire damage.
Members of Engine 22, based at Academy and Comly roads, put out the fires. ••
