BURNING ISSUE IN DRY WEATHER, CHOOSE HOLIDAY TREES CAREFULLY.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer That snap, crackle and pop Snap, Crackle and Pop! are the cartoon mascots of Kellogg's breakfast cereal Rice Krispies (Rice Bubbles in Australia). History The three elf characters were originally designed by illustrator Vernon Grant and made their debut in 1933. might not be coming from your breakfast cereal breakfast cereal, a food made from grain, commonly eaten in the morning. The oldest type of cereal, known as porridge or gruel, requires cooking in water or milk. The modern breakfast cereals, however, are entirely precooked and eaten in cold milk. , but from the sound of hundreds of Christmas trees drying on the winter wind - a problem that raised the concerns of fire officials Monday. Some Christmas tree sellers said last week's blustery blus·ter v. blus·tered, blus·ter·ing, blus·ters v.intr. 1. To blow in loud, violent gusts, as the wind during a storm. 2. a. To speak in a loudly arrogant or bullying manner. Santa Ana winds Santa Ana Winds may refer to: 1. Santa Ana wind, a local Southern California reference to Föhn winds, a meteorological phenomenon occurring as a layer of wind is forced over a mountain range -- drying the air -- which then passes over the crest and begins to move downslope -- caused Christmas trees to whither whith·er adv. To what place, result, or condition: Whither are we wandering? conj. 1. To which specified place or position: at some San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. area lots. Some lots with properly watered trees, however, weathered the week's strong, dry winds without damage. Fire officials warned holiday shoppers to steer clear of wind-damaged trees, hazards that can easily spark a holiday blaze. ``The weather is a critical factor for trees on a lot, and most sellers go to great lengths to keep them healthy. But sometimes they get weathered early and become dangerous,'' said Brian Humphrey, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. . ``Buyers must examine trees extremely carefully before taking home what is potentially a highly combustible com·bus·ti·ble adj. Capable of igniting and burning. n. A substance that ignites and burns readily. object.'' A visit to several Valley lots Monday found a wide range of tree health, with some as moist as towelettes and others as dry as summer scrub. Longtime nurseries and mom-and-pop tree lots had the best-looking firs, fed by water stands or shaded by large canopies. Trees at large home- improvement centers tended to suffer from no water and hot sun. Dozens of trees are turning brown at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, where their trunks stand on concrete carpeted by dead needles. ``The wind, all of the time, makes them more dry,'' said Enrique Sandoval, a Lowe's clerk in charge of the tree pen out front. ``Sometimes we put them in the trash. Nobody wants them because everybody likes them fresh.'' At a Home Depot The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services. Headquartered in Vinings, just outside Atlanta in unincorporated Cobb County, Georgia, Home Depot employs more than 355,000 people and operates 2,164 big-box in Panorama City, the trees fared somewhat better, although it wasn't clear whether the several hundred specimens corralled by a chain-link fence out in the parking lot would survive hot asphalt and lack of water. ``They're not doing so good,'' admitted one clerk who said he didn't know much about trees. Holiday fires kill or injure 2,000 residents each year and inflict $500 million in damage to homes and property, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the U.S. Fire Administration. In January, a Christmas tree burst into flames inside a Calabasas condominium, causing $35,000 in damage and sending two residents suffering from smoke inhalation Smoke Inhalation Definition Smoke inhalation is breathing in the harmful gases, vapors, and particulate matter contained in smoke. Description Smoke inhalation typically occurs in victims or firefighters caught in structural fires. to the hospital. The fire was caused by faulty Christmas lights on a dry tree. And in December 1999, just days before Christmas, two boys, ages 11 and 4, were critically injured when faulty lights caused their tree to go up in flames. The North Hills boys suffered second- and third-degree burns, but both eventually recovered. Often people rush out to buy a tree and fail to check it before they get it home, Humphrey said. And a tree could dry out even faster if it is placed near a fireplace, heating vent or any other heat source. ``Many people have made the move to artificial trees because of the dangers,'' Humphrey said. ``Some families believe they are just safer for them.'' Al and Mary Ann Dib, of Christmas Trees by Mary Ann of Arleta, have been selling noble, grand and Douglas firs since 1958. Each summer, they go to Oregon and select the best specimens. On their corner lot, trees are either planted in water pots and fixed to 2-by-4 rails, or covered beneath damp burlap under a protective tent. Al Dib carefully groomed the fronds of a 6-foot fir as he talked of last week's winds, which blew as strong as 77 mph through the Northeast Valley. ``It was bad,'' he said. ``A lot of the lots, their trees were lying down, but mine weren't. It could be 100 degrees, it could be Santa Ana winds all day long, and my trees'll still be damp. ``Can you find a better tree than this? There is no better.'' To buy fresh trees and keep them that way, experts recommend testing each tree by shaking it or twisting its branches for falling needles, storing it away from a heater vent or fireplace, watering it daily and feeding it with a preservative preservative Any of numerous chemical additives used to prevent or slow food spoilage caused by chemical changes (e.g., oxidation, mold growth) and maintain a fresh appearance and consistency. Antimycotics (e.g. . Firs at Mr. Christmas Trees in Woodland Hills were as lush as a Cascade forest. Fortunately, each of the trees - which run between $20 and $5,000 - were delivered the day after Thanksgiving, each shaded by a large protective canopy. ``Our trees are fresh,'' said Andy Santiago, the lot's manager, gently twisting a branch around his finger to show that no dry needles would pop off. ``We keep 'em displayed in water and water 'em three times a day, morning noon and night. ``You get what you pay for.'' Staff Writer Phillip W. Browne contributed to this report. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) Lot owner Al Dib, behind tree, helps Jose Amaya, Jesus Acebedo, 5, and Blanca Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the of North Hills select a Christmas tree Monday in Panorama City. David Sprague/Staff Photographer Box: TREE SAFETY SOURCE: U.S. Fire Administration |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion