Dry Christmas trees can be serious fire hazards in your home.
Once all the lights and decorations have been taken off, it's important to properly dispose of it.
If you're planning to keep your tree up beyond New Year's Day, fire officials suggest you keep watering it, so it doesn't dry out.
"A lot of it just has to do with being dried out, so we encourage people to discard their trees when Christmas is done. The City (of Santa Maria) will be picking up trees the week of Jan. 4, on your normal pick up day. Just remember that you have your tree out on the curb and ready for pickup," said Santa Maria Fire Battalion Chief Tony Clayburg.
Chief Clayburg says to look out for other potential hazards such as using an extension cord with a space heater.
