That Christmas tree that has been sitting in the corner since Thanksgiving: Is it getting a little bit brown?Are the leaves starting to accumulate on the carpet?Even if they aren’t, local fire officials are urging people to get rid of the holiday staple as soon as possible because regardless of how the tree may look, it becomes a massive fire hazard capable of burning hot enough to ignite things in the room without actually touching them. According to Lathrop Manteca Fire District Battalion Chief Larry Madoski, the risk of a house fire from a Christmas tree increases extensively the longer after the holiday somebody keeps a tree inside of their home. “When you buy a Christmas tree you have a tree that has been cut and is no longer living and we try to keep that tree looking green and healthy for a very defined period of time using water and other things that I’ve heard people talk about using,” Madoski said.