With Christmas exactly one week away, fire safety should be on the mind, especially if you have a live Christmas tree.

Phil Carpenter is the Fire Chief and Director of Public Safety at the Portage Fire Department. He gives you some safety tips.

"It's very important to keep the base or the trunk of the tree in the water at all times," says Carpenter. "As we know, we want to check it daily and make sure there's water there. It's probably a good idea to put a fresh cut on the tree at the end before you put it in the stand."

You should also check the lights on your tree and throw out any damaged ones that you may have. Led Lights give off a lot less heat.

"You should never place lit candles on or near the Christmas tree, that's just another fire hazard we don't want to see done," says Carpenter. "Trees should be at least three feet away from any heat source which could include candles, your fireplace its self, or anything that can dry out the tree."

A Christmas tree can go up in flames in a matter of seconds. It can become very volatile and Dangerous.

Carpenter says it's a worthwhile investment to get one of these.

"I would recommend a fire extinguisher. Do you have one in your house? If you don't, it's a good idea," says Carpenter. "Heaven forbid if your tree does catch fire, and you have a fire extinguisher readily available, you could maybe put out the fire yourself before it gets too big."

He adds one of the leading causes of fires around the holiday season is in the kitchen. He reminds you to not leave pots on the stove unattended, keep candles in a sturdy holder, and check your smoke alarm.