Keep the holidays festive, not fiery: Tips to prevent a Christmas tree fire

Whether you choose a real or artificial Christmas tree, both pose a fire hazard if you ignore proper precautions.

Here are some important steps to ensure a safe and merry season:

• Ensure trees are positioned safely from your fireplace and space heaters, and be vigilant about managing electrical cords.
• Consider investing in high-quality lights with a "U-L" listing, indicating they have undergone fire safety testing.
• You want to keep natural trees from drying and becoming flammable.

One firefighter has a trick you may not have heard of to keep water circulating in your tree.

"When you take your Christmas tree in, if you cut the stump off and you put some aspirin in the water when you initially put it in there and keep it watered every other day, the tree will stay green," Jonathan Mead said.

For added safety, consider using a timer to automatically turn off the lights when you go to bed and keep a fire extinguisher readily available in emergencies.