Most families should dispose of a real tree right after New Year’s or as soon as it’s drying out and dropping needles. In Southern Nevada, that means getting it to a recycling drop site between Dec. 26 and Jan.

A dry Christmas tree caught on fire, destroying the first floor of a Bethesda, Maryland, home and injuring four people and a family dog, Montgomery County fire officials said. More than 60 firefighters responded to 10300 block of Fleming Avenue to fight the blaze inside a single-family home just before 5 p.