Watch How Fast a Christmas Tree Can Catch Fire If It’s Not Watered

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has 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.

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:

• Make sure your tree is at least 3 feet away from any heat sources, like radiators, fireplaces, and heating vents.
• Make sure none of the wires on your lights are frayed, turn them off before you go to bed, and don't plug too many things into the same outlet.
• Don't leave your tree up too long. Once a bunch of needles start falling off, it's a major fire hazard.

Read more at National Fire Protection Association.