[Diverdogz]

Saw some video of a dried out Christmas tree going up in flames. It was a firefighting demo film, and I'm sure the tree was *very* dry, but dadgum, that tree made a ROARING fire in 20 seconds or so. A fire extinguisher is always a great thing to have, but dry trees catching fire would likely be reminiscent of the R.I. nightclub fire.

[VOA]

It was a firefighting demo film, and I'm sure the tree was *very* dry, but dadgum,
that tree made a ROARING fire in 20 seconds or so.

I'm not an expert on this, but I think the danger lies in the combination of
the dried wood, along with the volatile oils in the wood.
Those volatile oils may not be exactly gasoline, but they ain't water either.

IIRC, this is why you want to keep the base of a live tree in a stand that can supply
water...the tree, although cut and dying still transpires water and
that cuts down on the fire risk.

I invite more informed parties to amplify or correct what I've said...