Don't let your spruce spark!

Tyler, Texas — After today most people will start taking down their Christmas trees. Whether you plan to throw yours away or burn it, the Smith County Fire Marshal gives us tips on how to safely dispose of your tree.

Once your Christmas tree is cut down, its life cycle is over, so if you plan on keeping your tree up to ring in the new year, it's very important to keep it watered. The Smith County Fire Marshal, Jim Seaton, says "Once a tree dries out it can ignite very easily, very quickly."

Seaton says the best gift you can give is the gift of life and buy a smoke detector. However, once the festivities are over, he says you should always dispose of your tree in the proper way. "Take it to a landfill or a collection area, if you live outside the county and decide you want to burn that tree, keep in mind it's going to burn very fast.," said Seaton.

Always keep a hose or fire extinguisher nearby and your cell phone just in case you need to call the fire department, but the most important tip is to pay attention to the weather. Seaton says, "See what the weather conditions are going to be that day as you're doing the burning, as anyone who lives in Texas for very long they know the weather can change instantly and go from a calm day to a windy day. Seaton says this time of year, most vegetation is dead and becomes extremely flammable.

Every year on December 26th the City of Tyler Solid Waste Department and Keep Tyler Beautiful provides two locations for Christmas tree recycling. You can bring your undecorated trees to Golden Road Park at the intersection of McDonald Road and Golden Road in Tyler or Fun Forest Park located in the 900 block of North Glenwood Blvd. In Tyler.