Get Out Alive: Tips On Avoiding Holiday Fire Hazards

This time of the year, firefighters are standing ready, especially this week with the colder weather. Those space heaters plus the holidays are a dangerous mix.

The holidays bring families together. Fire tears them apart. We want to show you a check list that could save yours.

Soon we'll celebrate the birth of Christ, embrace our families and for some, turn our homes into powder kegs.

"We're going to add extension cords, space heaters, Christmas decorations. That's just adding an ignition source and combustibles inside a home," fire safety expert Jon Hansen said.

Space heaters ignite homes every year. So buy heaters with a tip-over safety option, and if it's several years old, toss it. Safety requirements are stricter now.

Firefighters training rookies want their first monster fire experience to be contained. So they send them into a fire chamber to tame what they call the beast.

A helmet camera put us face to face with a flashover -- a heart pumping exercise for even the toughest recruit. Tragically, it's training that will be put to the test time and again during the dangerous months of winter.

We have another incredible visual of how fast Christmas trees can go up in flames. So watch that water in your tree holder, it goes fast.

When you set up lights this year, test them and don't plug everything into one power cord. The results can be tragic.

Firefighters will put their training to use time and again during the dangerous winter months. But right now, it is early enough to vet out the dangers. We hope you have a joyful and safe holiday.