WORCESTER—Worcester Polytechnic Institute students put the science of fire behavior on full display this month, conducting their annual holiday fire safety demonstration to show just how fast a decorated Christmas tree can ignite and spread flames.
The burn, held Dec. 3 inside a laboratory in WPI’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering, involved two live trees set ablaze one at a time. The demonstration is part of a tradition that began in 2015, led each year by members of WPI’s student chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. The event is designed both to educate the public and to give future fire protection engineers a firsthand look at how these fires develop.
This year’s test included a flocked tree decorated with ornaments and lights, and a second tree outfitted with tinsel, lights and ornaments. Both ignited within seconds. Flames shot beyond the top of each tree in under 20 seconds, according to the release, with the tinsel-covered tree reaching peak fire conditions more quickly. Students tracked each burn in real time, recording temperatures and the rate at which the trees lost mass.
“People keep these trees in their homes, and a tree can go up really fast and quite violently,” said WPI senior Sofia Quattrini in the announcement. “If you had other furniture or curtains around it, those could ignite pretty quickly.”
The demonstration follows national data showing an average of 143 home fires start with Christmas trees each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Safety guidelines emphasize keeping trees watered, checking lights for damage, keeping decorations away from heat sources, and having smoke alarms on every level of the home.
WPI’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering — home to one of only three graduate fire protection engineering programs in the country — frames the demonstration as part of its broader mission to improve fire safety, prevention and research. The department also launched a new master’s degree in explosion protection engineering in 2024 to address emerging risks tied to advanced batteries, manufacturing and energy technologies.
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