WORCESTER — It only takes a minute for a crispy Christmas tree to touch off a raging inferno.
Researchers who set up a mock living room complete with curtains and an armchair — and then hit “record” as a tree-turned-torch engulfed the room in 63 seconds — hope their video will help people stay safe this holiday season.
Engineers at the Massachusetts university staged the live exercise on Tuesday as city firefighters stood by. They used a freshly harvested Christmas tree that was left unwatered for three weeks in the room, recreating conditions that often occur after people decorate their homes for the holidays.
First, they touched the tree with a blowtorch. Instantly, the lower branches ignited. A few seconds later, flames were shooting out of the arms of the chair and thick smoke was billowing. It wasn’t long before the fake room was engulfed in a very real fireball.
“This truly was alarming, truly surprising for us to see us going from an ignition all the way to a flashover in this compartment in just 63 seconds, said Ranellone. “And when we start to think about what 63 seconds means — that’s how much time we need to get out of the house, to alert the fire department and get the fire department to our houses. Sixty-three seconds is just not a lot of time.”