The Springfield Fire Department wants people to know just how dangerous a dry Christmas tree in your home can be.

For lovers of real Christmas trees, there's nothing quite like the fragrance and beauty a decorated pine or cedar tree brings to your holiday celebration.

But fire experts warn that a dried out tree, placed near a source of heat, is extremely dangerous for you and your family.

This week, the department staged a demonstration to show how quickly a tree can catch fire and spread throughout the room, if too close to a heat source like a candle, a faulty electric cord or a space heater.

Randy Villines, assistant fire chief, says hundreds of fires are reported around the U.S. every Christmas involving real trees.  Springfield firefighters fought a tree-involved fire just this week.

Click the Watch button above to see the demonstration - it takes less than 2 minutes for the tree to catch and spread the fire throughout the demonstration room.