story's a little late, but sad. nice headline though.

I find the series of events described in the article to be highly unlikely.

Police said resin seeping from the branches ignited when the dried-out tree caught fire, triggering Wednesday's explosion.

Friday's explosion will be caused by leaving the gas on.

Ban them!

ukiah: I find the series of events described in the article to be highly unlikely.

Unfortunate, I agree.

CUT THE RED WIRE DAMMIT

Festivus poles never explode no matter how long you leave them up.

Well, I guess this is the christian answer to the muslim suicide bomber. I guess it's only a matter of time before we hear reports about exploding newspapers (since the jews run the media).

/exploding rims for kwanza?
//more likely than you think

If he'd set it on a Waffle House table he wouldve gotten the attention he so desperately needed.

Simpsonfan: So long as one avoids Mg and alkali metals.

My pipe has resin in it. What to do?

How does tree resin explode? Last I checked, trees didn't bleed nitroglycerin. Sap does burn quite well, but he must have had one humongous tree to create enough sap to make anything more than a bonfire.

simpsonfan: Festivus poles never explode no matter how long you leave them up.

I agree, plus they can double as entertainment poles.

The real mechanism is inside encased in a titanium shell, if you trip the external feedback circuit the bomb will detonate.

@drforrester: boil it in salty water, works like a charm.

califacondor: @drforrester: boil it in salty water, works like a charm.

Oh THAT'll make the house smell great.

Richard Pye: Police said resin seeping from the branches ignited when the dried-out tree caught fire, triggering Wednesday's explosion.

Friday's explosion will be caused by leaving the gas on.

i'm guessing wednesday's was also. or there is a lot more to this story than what we are reading.

ukiah: I find the series of events described in the article to be highly unlikely.

pitch and resin are highly combustible. fire starts. gas line explodes.

*sings*
Oh Tannenboom, oh tannenboom,
of all the trees assploding.
Each year I bring to you a light,
you blow my house up in the night.
Oh Tannenboom, oh tannenboom,
of all the trees assploding.

THEY'RE ALL GREEN WIRES!!

What am I supposed to do now??

ukiah: I find the series of events described in the article to be highly unlikely.

Would you believe a boy scout with a bloodhound?

m0llusk: Ban them!

What? Trees? Holidays? Old people? German people?

Exploding trees, yet another reason western europe is better than the US.

its basically a flash over effect, the tree leaks its sap (highly flammable fuel source) then you provide the oxygen intermix (the lims and all that provide the intermix) this results in basically a small fuel air bomb.. with the needles mixed in, the needles provide a quick and easy lighting source (when dried out) one small open flame .. and tada you now have a exploding x-mas tree.. aka fuel air bomb.. for this to work, the tree must have been in a very poorly ventilated room.. so it decided to ventilate it...

i will admit right now, I'm no expert on exploding x-mas tree's but this makes the most sense to me with the mix of components presented and the outcome that has been provided. the fuel air bomb would explain the harshness of the explosion without having any other high expansion rate chemicals mixed in..

Agrees with headline

Interested.

I hate when that happens. Exploding trees are so annoying.

simpsonfan: Festivus poles never explode no matter how long you leave them up.

Festivus for the rest of us!

The shock wave killed the pensioner and blew out all the windows of the house where he lived.

It's wasn't as much of a Christmas tree as it was a meth lab.

Pine resin can be quite a fuel, the Japanese used it to make aviation fuel during the war. I'm wondering if our hero could have put fertilizer in the dish of the tree in early yule. Then, possibly, a fuel with its own oxidizer could have been produced.

"...but first remove the fuse."

The_Talented_Mr_Richards: Interested.

Already busted, but the resin angle might make for a revisit episode.

Personally, after seeing the original episode, I don't believe for a second just the tree did this.

That's why Jewish people use menoras. No explosion risk.

I'm sure the family's pining for their fake tree.

The War On Christmas has claimed another victim.

Maybe now those damned Merry Christmas supporters will understand the determination of the Happy Holiday cartel.

LordJiro: I'm sure the family's pining for their fake tree.

win

Oznog: What am I supposed to do now??

Call in another member of the bombsquad, preferably one who's not colorblind.

CygnusDarius: This would not have happened during Festivus!

Well, I was trying to figure out a suitable name for a Festivus pole that's been turned into a pipe bomb... and then I gave up...

UH, OK

Treesus Christ hath brought his wreath upon all humanitree

MonkeyBoy666: The War On Christmas has claimed another victim.

Maybe now those damned Merry Christmas supporters will understand the determination of the Happy Holiday cartel.

Maybe the true war was something like this:

"It was a terrible winter, when the armies of frost-men marched during the winter cold. Santa and his legions pressed the attack on Holy Christmas Land, but his plans were foiled, as the Three Wizard Kings rallied their armies of Tinsel elementals and Pine Treants, and unleashed a wave of Magic that melted the frost-men, and drove Santa and his elven archers back to their Northern Citadel.

Alas, the casualties were many. Many angels lay battered and broken on the bloodied snow. The Pine treants suffered heavy casualties as well, and brave Melchior, the boldest and wisest of the Three, died in combat, as he protected Jesus from an incoming elven arrow.

But today is also a day of celebration, as I write this, legions of the legendary Maccabees Mage-Knights from the lands of hanukkah, as well as the bold battle-ragers of the Ramadan have joined our ranks, and the misterious monks of Kwanza have also given us their alliance. Truly, this War on Christmas shall end with blood, and spear, sword, axe, bow and spell, but we shall claim victory from the legions of Santa Claws, as we wage this War on Christmas..."

I guess the local custom of putting the cut end of the tree in a bowl of water and salt petre rather than sugar isn't such a good idea.

What the hell are you looking at?

I've seen a dry conifer go up (outside, more than once). It is really whooshy when it goes. It'll knock you off your feet and singe your eyebrows. In some California fires, the dry conifers (and some other trees too, like eucalyptus) will just pop like huge firecrackers, can hear them across a canyon and the heat is intense.

Big tree, little cabin in Bremen? I can just picture it - one of those places with double doors and hay in the loft...and a pine tree.

Possibly, he shouldn't have bought his Festivus tree from ACME, Inc.

ukiah -"I find the series of events described in the article to be highly unlikely."

califacondor -"How does tree resin explode? Last I checked, trees didn't bleed nitroglycerin. "

As one who grew up where collecting/selling "dynamite stumps" (fat-lighter pine stumps) was big business, I beg to differ.

/Immokalee, Fla

One of his dodgier relatives emptied his RV's sewage holding tank into the storm sewer outside.

Not rated for live trees. Not to be
used near combustible indoor materials.



/I should have ordered the new Ultra No-Burn Guard instead.