About 3,500 Americans die each year in fires and about 18,300 are injured. Special fire safety precautions need to be taken when keeping a live tree in the house. When selecting your tree, the needles should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame, or sparks. Keep your tree stand filled with water at all times.