From cooking to candles, homes can be most susceptible to structure fires this time of year.

One way to keep your home and holiday plans from going up in flames is proper care of your Christmas tree. If you are purchasing a live tree, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) advises choosing one with fresh, green needles that don’t fall off when touched. Stuart Fire Chief Mike Renslow shares what to do next, “Make sure that you cut an inch or two off the base of that because a lot of times when they do cut those they’ll seal back up with sap and things and put it directly into the base full of water so you can keep that hydrated to keep it as moist as possible and not be dry and be a fire hazard for you.”

People should also make sure their tree is at least three feet from any heat source and that it is not blocking an exit in case of a fire. According to the NFPA a heat source too close to a tree causes about one in four tree fires. Residents must also make sure to add water to a live tree daily, and then get rid of the tree after Christmas or when it is dry.