Decorated with colorful lights and garland, the Christmas tree looked innocent enough sitting in the corner of the room. There were even a few packages underneath, neatly wrapped in green and red paper, with a bow on top.
In a matter of seconds, it all went up in smoke â literally, engulfed in bright orange flames that climbed toward the ceiling, sending ashes out an adjacent window.
But that was to be expected. It was all a part of Thursday s demonstration, organized by the Bakersfield Fire Department and PG&E to help encourage residents to use caution and put safety first when decorating this holiday season to reduce the risk of a house fire.