Fayetteville warns of Christmas tree fire dangers

Nov. 28--Within 30 seconds, the fake living room -- all 10 feet of it, including the live Christmas tree in the corner -- was engulfed in flames.

The ceiling temperature was reported to be above 1,000 degrees at that point of the fire.

"Nobody can survive that," said Battalion Chief T.J. McLamb, the fire marshal for the Fayetteville Fire Department.

After 40 seconds, firefighters started to hose it down.

Fortunately, no one was in that ersatz living room at one end of a parked 20-foot trailer. It was a room without a fire sprinkler.

On the other end was another fake living room, designed with the same typical set-up that included a Christmas tree, presents, small table, couch and Christmas stockings fastened to the wall. The difference was, that room was equipped with a fire sprinkler.

Another demonstration followed, with much of that room saved from the blaze.

"The fire was quickly contained," McLamb said. "You can see the benefits of fire alarms when it comes to saving someone's life."

The decorated Christmas trees in both rooms were bone dry, having been cut three weeks before and never watered.

"You want to make sure you have smoke alarms in the house and make sure the tree is watered properly," McLamb stressed following the demos held Tuesday for members of the media to pass on the word to their audiences.

Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey had come to Fayetteville to demonstrate how quickly a dry Christmas tree can burn and spread its crackling flames throughout a room. With Fayetteville Fire Chief Ben Major and other local officials also on hand, Causey sought to reinforce home fire safety efforts during the holiday season.

"We want to bring awareness to how dangerous it can be," said Shannon Bullock, the deputy director for the Injury Prevention section of the State Fire Marshal and director of Safe Kids N.C.

This live Christmas tree demo was staged in the Sears parking lot at Cross Creek Mall.

Christmas tree fires are not common, but when they do occur, they are much more likely to be deadly than most other fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Electrical problems cause nearly half of them, and one in four result from a heat source that's too close to the tree.

"They can go up in a matter of seconds. If it's a live tree," Causey said, "keep watering the tree every day. Don't put it up too early or keep it up too long."

Nationwide, Christmas trees start an average of 200 structure fires each year, Causey said, with most occurring around December or January.

Between 2011 and 2015, Christmas tree fires caused an annual average of six deaths, 16 injuries and $14.8 million in direct property damage, based on National Fire Protection Association data. One of every 32 Christmas tree fires is deadly, the same report revealed, compared to an average of one death per 143 total house fires.

Since Jan. 1, 2018, 124 deaths in North Carolina have been attributed to structure fires. "This is the most we have ever had," Causey said.

The number of those involving Christmas trees is not available.

Last year, on Christmas Eve, a 68-year-old woman died in a house fire in The Plantation at Vineyard Green neighborhood in Harnett County. Investigators believe that the fire started in the area of the Christmas tree.

The fire victim, Sarah Beddingfield, was the wife of the Rev. Ed Beddingfield, the pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in Buies Creek.

The couple's daughter, Shannon Beddingfield, was injured. The pastor and the couple's other daughter, Meghan, suffered minor injuries and did not require hospital treatment.

On Christmas Eve 2016, longtime Cumberland County Sheriff's Deputy Michael D. Martin lost his Linden home to extensive fire damage, with investigators determining that the blaze originated from the Christmas tree.

The fire swept through the house on the 9500 block of Big Bay Road, and the family was unable to salvage any of their belongings from the home.

According to Robert Martin, Michael Martin's son, the Christmas tree was the first real one that his father had ever bought.

Staff writer Michael Futch can be reached at mfutch@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3529.

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