Menlo Park officials held their own demonstration. They couldn't light a properly watered tree after several tries, but a candle next to a drape turned a tiny room into an inferno in just minutes. The flames spread to other parts of the room and when the Christmas tree finally catches fire, that is the flash point and a fireball overtakes the room.
It's estimated 400 people die every year from holiday related fires in the U.S. each year.
