Flame Retardant Kills R.I. Statehouse Tree

[jazz lady]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - It's a Charlie Brown Christmas for Rhode Island's official Christmas tree. The 18-foot Colorado blue spruce lost its needles and died after Statehouse workers dried it with commercial fans and sprayed it with a fire-retardant chemical. The workers were following the stringent new fire code enacted after a nightclub blaze in Rhode Island nearly three years ago killed 100 people.

The pathetic-looking tree was hustled out of the building Wednesday night.

Gov. Donald Carcieri sheepishly explained the tree's demise and suggested the state might get an artificial replacement next year.

"With the new fire code, we're supposed to spray it," he told WPRO-AM. "And apparently the spray killed it."


I saw the tree on the news this morning. That sucker made Charlie Brown's Christmas tree look good.

 

[jazz lady]

Found a picture on CNN...

<img src="http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/US/12/22/dead.xmas.tree.ap/story.spruce.ap.jpg">

I think it's more of a fire hazard now.

 

[rack'm]

The first step should have been to keep the TARDS away from the tree.

 

[ylexot]

The first step should have been to keep the TARDS away from the tree.

The only safety rule needed is "Don't be an idiot".

 

[kom526]

Water...nature's fire retardant.