Dispose of Your Real Christmas Tree Properly

(Undated) – Now that Christmas is in the “rearview mirror,” fire departments are urging those with live Christmas trees to take them down as soon as possible. The National Fire Protection Association says you should take down your tree within four weeks of bringing it inside, even if it’s well-watered. They also say you should not leave a dried-out tree in your garage or against your house. They say to check with your local community to see if they have a Christmas tree recycling program, compost it, or cut it up and put it in your “green waste collection.” The NFPA says that Christmas tree fires can cause an average of twelve injuries, two deaths, and an average of $10 million in direct property damage each year.