Each year, 160 U.S. homes experience Christmas tree fires. They are hot, fast, dangerous—and preventable.
In this video, the ACS Reactions team tests different Christmas tree watering conditions, including an internet recipe that supposedly fireproofs your Christmas tree with borax, to investigate the science behind preventing these fires.
With some help from the University of Maryland, they light some Christmas trees on fire and conclude that just plain water is one of the best things you can give your tree to keep your home safe.