With the holidays fast approaching keeping your home safe from fire becomes more important than ever with the swell of fire hazards like Christmas trees and lights entering homes.

“Fire is one of the biggest causes of insurance claims, I believe it takes up about 40 percent of all claims, and it’s a big concern this time of year,” said Joel Moss, owner Paul Davis Restoration of Santa Clarita. “We are doing extra cooking, we got the electrical lighting, we got the natural Christmas trees because they smell so good and we want to make sure we keep extra water on those, being cautious of flammable situations is a really important thing.”

Click here for more from Joel Moss on keeping your home safe fire throughout the holidays.

Below the National Fire Protection Association has some information on how to make sure your Christmas tree is safe.

Choosing a Tree

First be sure to choose a tree that still has fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.

You can also take a needle and bend it if it breaks you can be sure that the tree is still fresh, while if it simply bends you might want to take another look at it.

Placing the Tree

After choosing a fresh tree that is the right size for your living room and before you place the tree in the stand, make a fresh cut 2 inches from the base of the trunk to ensure that the tree will continue to absorb water for the next few weeks.

Choose a location that is at least three feet away from any potential heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents, lights, etc.

Try to keep your tree out of direct sunlight if possible in order to keep the tree as fresh as possible and extend its lifespan.

Once you have fixed the tree in the stand add water as soon as possible and continue to add water daily, checking the basin twice a day can help keep you tree fire safe.

Lighting the Tree

It’s important when selecting the lights for your tree that they are listed by a qualified testing lab and are designated for indoor use. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to see how many light strands should be connected.

In addition to being unsightly worn out or broken bulbs could also be potential fire hazards, making it important to check each string of lights closely to get the best looking, safest tree possible.

Always turn off your Christmas tree lights when sleeping or leaving the house, and never use candles or any open flame to light your tree.

After Christmas

Once the holidays are over consider getting rid of the tree as soon as possible. Dried-out trees can pose serious fire risks and should not be left inside the home or garage, or  leaning outside the house.

For safest removal, the city provides free curbside tree removal starting the day after Christmas Dec. 26, and running through the second Saturday in January.

Keep in mind that the city will not accept any trees that are

• Painted, Fireproofed or Flocked
• Decorated with ornaments, tinsel or lights
• Contain nails, netting, or a stand

For more information check out the city’s website here.

Facts

• One-quarter of home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems.
• Although Christmas tree fires are not common, when they do occur, they are more likely to be serious.
• A heat source too close to the tree causes roughly one in every four of the fires.