The Consumer Product Safety Commission posted a video that shows how fast your Christmas tree can turn into a FIREBALL if you forget to water it.
It shows two trees side-by-side. One's been watered every day, and the other hasn't. The one that HAS been watered starts smoldering, and there's a lot of smoke. But you'd have a decent chance of stopping it before your house went up.
Then they light the one that hasn't been watered . . . and it's a raging inferno in about SIX SECONDS. You'd basically have NO chance of stopping it.
So if you got a real tree this year, make sure there's always water in the base. They can suck up as much as a gallon a day.
Here are a few more quick safety tips . . .
1. Make sure your tree is at least 3 feet away from any heat sources, like radiators, fireplaces, and heating vents.
2. Make sure none of the wires on your lights are frayed . . . always turn them off before you go to bed . . . and don't plug too many things into the same outlet.
3. Don't leave your tree up too long. Once a bunch of needles start falling off, it's a major fire hazard. It doesn't matter how much you water it.