No one injured in Putuo mall Christmas tree blaze

A Christmas tree outside a shopping mall in Putuo District caught on fire on Monday morning but no one was injured, fire authorities said today.

The incident took place at Changfeng Joy City Mall yesterday morning.

Guards at the mall discovered the fire, and firefighters from the Zhenru fire station were quickly dispatched. Before they arrived, however, the mall's “mini fire station” extinguished the blaze. 

There are many similar mini fire stations in residential complexes and key spots around the city.

Fire authorities said the fire was caused by strong winds that snapped a wire in the tree's lights that quickly engulfed the entire tree. They stressed the importance of regularly checking lights on trees in people's homes, turning off lights before going to bed and making sure smoke alarms are always on.

An experiment showed it takes only 4.6 seconds for fire at the bottom of a Christmas tree 1.3 meters tall to reach the top, while after 20 seconds the entire tree can be consumed by fire.