Now that Christmas and New Year's Day have passed, Firefighters are suggesting folks pack up the decorations and get rid of the tree.
While some people may like to keep their Christmas trees up longer, Reno Fire says there are fire dangers that come with that.
"We want to remind the public that this is actually the most dangerous time of year after the holidays with your Christmas tree because it's spent the last few weeks drying out indoors which is actually even worse than outside," said Fire Marshal John Beck.
Beck says the heaters and air conditioners that are being used pull moisture out of the air causing the tree to dry out. And with little to no moisture left, the tree becomes easily flammable, and fuel loaded.
Beck tells us the fire potential is extreme, so it's best to move your tree outdoors and dispose of them as quickly and safely as possible.
Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful hosts a Christmas Tree Recycle Program every year where you can donate your tree, and they will chip them down and use them as mulch in area parks.
Chris Ewing, communications and development director for KTMB, says, "The count of trees is kind of ongoing right now, so the tally isn't quite there. We usually end up with about 10,000 trees per year that we keep out of the landfill which is great."
The program has six locations you can drop off your tree at. That includes Shadow Mountain, Reno Sports Complex, and Bartley Ranch. You can also drop them off at any of the three Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District locations in Washoe Valley, Lemmon Valley, and Spanish Springs.
The program will be accepting tree donations until Monday. There will be an additional drop-off weekend at only Bartley Ranch on January 11th and 12th.
