City Reminds Residents of Recycle Program After Christmas Tree Fire Damages Home

Christmas tree dropoff sites will be open across the city today for residents to get rid of the fire hazards.

Recycling Christmas trees is as easy, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

Angelenos have three ways to recycle their trees:

-- cut the tree into pieces small enough to place in green recycling bins;

-- place trees next to the recycling bins on trash-collection day;

-- bring the trees to one of 21 citywide dropoff sites at participating fire department and recreation sites, including the L.A. Zoo, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 8.

Information on the city's tree recycling program and a list of dropoff sites is available at www.lacitysan.org/tree-recycle.htm.

"We are aggressively reducing, reusing and recycling our waste," Villaraigosa said. "In fact, Angelenos have increased recycling so significantly that we lead the nation in waste diversion.

"This holiday season there is something we all can do -- we can recycle our Christmas trees," the mayor continued. "Think of it as your gift to Mother Nature."

Each year, about 100,000 Christmas trees are recycled and used as mulch and compost throughout the city.

Deputy Fire Chief Emile Mack reminded people that withered Christmas trees can be a fire hazard.

On Friday afternoon in Sherman Oaks, a roughly in the foyer of a two-story home at 5049 Matija Ave., where the owners were expecting guests for an Orthodox Christian Christmas celebration that evening, and severely damaged the three-year-old, roughly 5,500-square-foot home.

How that tree caught fire, if known, has not been disclosed.