Politics & Government
Fire Officials Recommend Two-Week Limit on Cut Christmas Trees
It may be hard to say that final goodbye to the holidays, but a dry tree can be a fire hazard.
The Prince George's County Fire Department is advising residents to keep their indoor Christmas trees up for a maximum of two weeks due to the risk of fire.
"Dry trees can ignite easily," Fire/EMS Chief Spokesman Mark Brady warned on Twitter this week.
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency also advises that live trees should not be left up for longer than two weeks, as they account for hundreds of fires annually.
Shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters, and matches are the most common causes of tree fires, according to FEMA.
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Well-watered trees are not a significant problem, the agency says, but dry and neglected trees pose a higher risk.
FEMA recommends not placing a tree close to a heat source and keeping the tree stand filled with water at all times, among other advice.
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