Is it a real tree? How long ago was it cut down?
P.S. You do realize that it’s almost February, right?
About a month ago I saw some news stories about some old guy in Wisconsin who’s had a tree up for 40 years. I’m surprised his house didn’t burn down years ago.
And if there is a fire - can be used to open a window in a hurry!
Can you imagine how f’ed up their next Christmas is going to be?
I saw that, too. I was surprised that there were still needles on the tree. Brown, of course. But I would have assumed they would have all fallen off long ago. Very weird, even if he was doing it as a sentimental remembrance thing.
I missed that story but there’s no way needles would still be on a cut tree that long. I’m guessing he applied some kind of coating or preservative to it.
I heard from my reporter friend who was on the story Wednesday when this result was announced that the Anne Arundel County Fire Department has acquired 3 trees the same size as the one that burned the Castle down, and they plan to let them dry out (the same amount of time) then burn them at the ATF Fire Research Lab in Maryland. They have an area where they can burn full size homes in a controlled environment. I’ve shot stories in there - it’s crazy scary to be around.
Looking for a teachable moment I suppose.
Back in my real Christmas tree days we always put it up on Christmas eve and took it down on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6th. Even by then if you weren’t diligent about watering it would be pretty damn dry. Another two weeks it would have been tinder.
Are they doing this just to learn, or are they investigating a possible arson, to see if a one to two month old tree would burn so quickly that residents couldn’t get out? In other words, is it an academic or investigative exercise?
I suspect they want to show to the general unbelievers out there in the general public that the tree can generate sufficient heat, smoke and carbon monoxide within 30 to 45 seconds to have killed everyone in the house quite efficiently and very quickly. Unless you’ve been to a number of structure fires you can’t quite fathom just how fast your life (and your possessions) can turn into ashes.
With my luck, the yule rock I’d choose would be a boulder of anthracite coal.
ETA: I notice that chrisk made the same point, more subtly:
I was thinking of putting up a poll to see if Dopers use real or artificial trees but I see there is one from 2010:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=2090
Surprising results for real trees are as high as they are as the people I know have switched to artificial.
[QUOTE=2gigch1]
I heard from my reporter friend who was on the story Wednesday when this result was announced that the Anne Arundel County Fire Department has acquired 3 trees the same size as the one that burned the Castle down, and they plan to let them dry out (the same amount of time) then burn them at the ATF Fire Research Lab in Maryland. They have an area where they can burn full size homes in a controlled environment. I’ve shot stories in there - it’s crazy scary to be around.
Looking for a teachable moment I suppose.
[/QUOTE]
Hopefully they use one of the trees to demonstrate how fire sprinklers probably could have extinguished the tree before it spread to the rest of the house, allowing all six people to escape. Possibly wet and naked, but alive.
To install them during construction, sprinklers cost about $1.50 per square foot of protected area. (cost varies by region, construction type, and options such as “invisible” heads) You’ll spend more than that on carpet - why not spend a few bucks to protect your life?
We’re back down at the home today on a follow up. AA FD says initial cause appears to be a fault in the in-floor electric receptacle that the tree was plugged into.
“The tree was so dry the maids had stopped vacuuming up the needles because they were clogging up the vacuum” we were told.
Confirmed the tree fire test will take place after 60 days. Bought the trees from the same source.
Dropping needles? Hmm. Might as well put can as gasoline out.
In the recent thread I talked about a fire building contest.
As a further explanation, other troops were using logs and thicker sticks, trying to build classic fires which could sustain burning for a while. There’s no need. Pine needles are going to burn really hot and really quickly.
At least that investigation determined the cause of the fire. That test will most likely be just for educational purposes.
due to really long tree time, dec. 16 - jan. 8 or 14, we always had artificial or potted trees.
so very sad for the parents, to lose everyone…no words.
Not a proper poll but here’s a thread from this past holiday season.
Rock Bottom prices, I’ll bet.
Yes, the article says the lights were plugged in 24/7.