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QUINCY, ILL. -- U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated annual average of 230 structure fires that begin with Christmas trees.

"Every holiday season we want to stress to everybody that although this is a time of year that we want to have fun and spend a lot of time with our families it never fails we always have some type of tragedy," Michael Dade, a member of Quincy Fire Department's Public Education Team, said.

Structure fires caused by Christmas trees on annual average cause four deaths, 21 civilian fire injuries and $17.3 million in direct property damage.

"Those trees can get dried out along with all the decorations we put out at the same time of year and when that happens they're a little more susceptible to fire," Dade said.

Be sure to keep your real Christmas tree moist all season long. Even if it's faux, make sure you keep an eye on its decorations. Fourteen percent of Christmas tree fires involve decorative lights.

"People don't realize how quick these decorations can go up and because they go up so quick as opposed to other furniture in your home they give you a lot less time to get out of the house," Firefighter Jerry Maste, said.

And if your holiday lights have a cord that looks like this, it's time to buy news ones.

"Just one little spark or just that cord getting hot in one spot with the needles touching the cord, it can ignite the tree," Jerry Smith, from the Quincy Fire Department, said.

It takes the Quincy Fire Department an average of three minutes to respond to a fire, the same amount of time it can take a Christmas tree to ignite an entire living.

Use these safety tips to keep you and your family safe this holiday season and don't become a statistic.

To see the Quincy Fire Department simulate a Christmas tree fire, click here.