As the holidays end and families take down their evergreen Christmas trees, fire departments are reminding residents that dried-out trees are one of the leading fire hazards this time of year.
Overly dry trees ignite in seconds if they’re too close to a heat source or faulty lights.
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Firefighters said removal should be a top priority for safety.
“It depends. Once it starts getting dry and you notice a difference, all the leaves are falling off. Probably a good idea to get rid of it cause it will be a fire hazard,” said Erie Fire Department Captain Tom Palotas.
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Palotas also said if you plan to keep your tree up through New Year’s, make sure you are watering the tree regularly…