Watch how frighteningly fast a Christmas tree can catch fire

Between 30 and 35 million real trees are sold for Christmas each year in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of them in New Jersey. We all know when you have a real tree you need to give it water to keep it from drying out. We usually think of that in terms of aesthetics; keeping the tree pretty and keeping the needles from drying out and falling off.

Keeping your tree from drying out is also about safety. A real tree is beautiful but it can also pose a fire hazard if it’s too dry. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has created this video to show just how fast a Christmas tree can catch fire. It’s a good reminder how important it is to give those trees plenty of water. Share this NY Post video with anyone you know who has a real tree this Christmas.