"O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Thy leaves are so unchanging."

This may be true for this classic and beloved song … but for those of us with trees in our homes that happen to be too dry those leaves are easily a holiday hazard waiting to catch on fire.

Today in Rockville, Md., the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission  demonstrated how in only 40 seconds your entire holiday could come melting to the ground, along with your house.

"No matter how well you water a tree or how fresh it is when you bring it home, trees last only a maximum of four weeks," John Drengenberg, consumer safety drector for Underwriters Laboratories Inc., which independently tests products and provides safety recommendations, told ABC news.

"It's the speed at which it burns that's so scary because you need time to get out once your smoke alarm goes off," said Drengenberg.

According to the CPSC, between 2006 and 2008, there are an average of four deaths a year  related to Christmas tree fires, causing an estimated $18 million in property damage.

But, Christmas trees are not the only fire hazards around the holidays. The No. 1 culprit:  candles, which account for approximately 130 deaths and $360 million  in property losses.

"They can be very pretty and they are very much fun to have, but you have to be careful," Drengenberg said. "The main tip that Underwater Laboratories  can give anyone is blow out the candle before you leave the room." It may be inconvenient, said Drengenberg, but this small act can "save you a lot of grief."

"Christmas is a time of many traditions and people like to use grandma's table cloth on the table for Christmas dinner, but lights should not be a tradition," Drengenberg said. Tossing lights, he said,  is one thing you should feel good about doing.

If the light is frayed with wires showing or has too many bulbs burnt out CPSC and UL recommend purchasing new ones.

Drengenberg explained that a red UL sticker, which can be found on a metallic sticker attached to the lights, means the product has been tested for rain, humidity and UV light, among other things, and has been approved for outdoor use. A green UL means the lights are  for indoor use only and should never be placed outside.

Tagging such as this helps to make sure you don't purchase lights that are too thin and easily broken or that don't have the proper surge protectors.

Inez Tenenbaum, head of the CPSC, highlighted regulatory enforcement efforts within the United States. This past week,  Christmas lights  arriving at a port in Long Beach from China were so thin the light could be snapped off the wire.

"Our people at the port saw that they didn't meet the standard and we seized them and kept them from being sold in the United States," Tenenbaum said.

Bottom line: Unsafe lights could possibly slip through the cracks and make their way into homes, so ultimately the consumer needs to verify lights are safe.

CPSC estimates that during November and December of 2010, more than 13,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for holiday decoration related injuries, a number that has continued to rise since 2007.

Here are  holiday tips from CPSC to make sure your holiday stays merry:

• Use the appropriate ladder when hanging Christmas lights
• Don't use decorations that look like candy or food, as these can confuse young children or pets
• Make sure your decorations are lead-free
• Designate a family tree waterer to avoid the tree drying out too early
• Check smoke alarms and batteries
• Have a family emergency plan should you need to evacuate