The Rapid City Department of Fire & Emergency Services is reminding people to take care when selecting and decorating a Christmas tree to avoid fire.

Captain Mark Kirchgesler offered these tips:

- When selecting a natural tree, check to see that it is in good condition and shows no sign of being dried out, such as falling or easily pulled needles. Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needles should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out and is a fire hazard.

- Before taking the tree into the house, it should be prepared by first re-cutting the base of the tree to allow it to better absorb water. An angled cut is recommended. Place the base of the tree in a large container of water, such as a bucket, leaving it for 24 to 48 hours to give the tree the chance to absorb as much water as possible.

- When putting the tree in the house, use a sturdy tree stand that provides a sufficient water supply. Be sure to refill the water regularly; do not allow the stand to become empty.

- Place the tree well away from areas that can cause the tree to dry out quickly, such as near heating vents.

- For decorative lighting on natural or artificial trees, be sure to use UL listed lights. Thoroughly inspect all wiring and lights, and do not use any lighting that shows damage. Connect no more than three strands of push-in bulbs and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.

- Christmas trees and other holiday decorations that use electric lighting should not be left on when a home is not occupied. When using candles as part of holiday decorations, they should not be left burning unattended when leaving the home or even the room. Candles have become an increasing cause of home fires, especially during the holidays.