OH! TANNENBAUM!; SPECTACLE POINTS UP PERILS OF YULE TREE.Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer It took only 45 seconds for the flames to engulf en·gulf tr.v. en·gulfed, en·gulf·ing, en·gulfs To swallow up or overwhelm by or as if by overflowing and enclosing: The spring tide engulfed the beach houses. the Christmas tree's delicate branches, heavy with the glossy red ornaments and beaded trim that quickly turned to a fine black ash. In the parking lot behind the Farmers Insurance building in Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , the firefighters from Ventura County Fire Engine Company 41 used a live-fire demonstration Monday morning to remind residents how swiftly flames can consume the holiday spirit. ``All of these trees have a lot of sap. If you don't give it enough water, if there is a faulty light - there is so much resin in a tree like this that it can go up like a can of gas,'' said Captain Brian Dilley. Organized by former Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. firefighter Derek Olin in conjunction with the Ventura County Fire Department Not to be confused with Ventura Fire Department. The Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) provides fire protection and emergency response services for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, and for six other cities within the county. , the demonstration simulated what could happen if a shorted electrical connection An electrical connection between discrete points allows the flow of electrons, (current). A pair of connections is needed for a circuit. Between points with a low voltage difference between them, direct current flow can be controlled by a switch. or stray flame from a nearby fireplace sparked a blaze near a Christmas tree Christmas tree Evergreen tree, usually decorated with lights and ornaments, to celebrate the Christmas season. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands as symbols of eternal life was common among the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. . Within seconds, the Douglas Fir Douglas fir: see pine. Douglas fir Any of about six species of coniferous evergreen timber trees (see conifer) that make up the genus Pseudotsuga, in the pine family, native to western North America and eastern Asia. tree that stood just more than five feet high in the center of the parking lot, empty boxes posing as Christmas gifts beneath, was burned to a charred twig TWIG - Tree-Walking Instruction Generator. A code generator language. ML-Twig is an SML/NJ variant. ["Twig Language Manual", S.W.K. Tijang, CS TR 120, Bell Labs, 1986]. . ``We hope to enrich the public about Christmas tree safety and we want to remind everyone how quickly a tree can go up in flames,'' Dilley said. Firefighters have already responded to three Christmas tree fires in Thousand Oaks and Oak Park this year. Last year, four were reported in Simi Valley, Oak Park and unincorporated Ventura County. Dilley reminds residents to make sure their Christmas trees are not near a fireplace or other heating device; to check Christmas lights for faulty wires or bulbs; and especially to trim dry branches and needles and to keep the tree freshly watered. Dilley said fir trees require frequent watering. Fire Department spokesperson Sandi Wells added that Christmas trees should not be chopped up and burned in the fireplace because of the potential for an explosion or a serious fire. ``If people try to burn these trees in their fireplaces, they can end up igniting their whole living room,'' she said. Each season, the fire department typically responds to five to ten such fires the first two weeks of January. Fire Investigator Keith Mashburn has responded to numerous residential blazes started by Christmas trees that caught fire over the course of his 22 years with the department. He said he and his family keep an artificial tree. On Monday, Mashburn brought his 12-year-old daughter to the demonstration in response to her annual suggestion that the family buy a real tree. ``It's scary,'' said Stevee Mashburn. ``Yeah, I think I'm convinced. Pretty much.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (Color) A Christmas tree bursts into flame Monday at a Simi Valley demonstration. By Tina Gerson/Daily News |
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