Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are among the leading days each year for house fires in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

However, Leavenworth Fire Chief Gary Birch said many of the fire risks this season can be reduced through common sense measures.

Birch advises people to be cautious as they turn on decorative lights that have been placed around real Christmas trees.

"Those dry out," he said of the trees.

And Christmas lights can produce heat. The fire chief recommends not leaving the tree lights on when people go to bed or leave their homes.

Birch still warns people about leaving LED lights, which produce less heat than incandescent bulbs, turned on unattended when it comes to real Christmas trees.

"I'd still be cautious," he said.

Birch also urges caution when lighting candles during the holidays.

Mike Lingenfelser, chief of the Fairmount Township Fire Department, said his department recently responded to a fire that was blamed on a candle that was left unattended as people slept.

And while space heaters are not necessarily related to Christmas, they may be put to use this time of year as temperatures drop. Birch also urges people to be cautious when using these devices.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, only Thanksgiving traditionally has more house fires each year in the United States than Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"By knowing where potential fire hazards exist and taking some basic safety precautions to prevent them, people can enjoy a festive, fire-free holiday season," said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president for outreach and advocacy.

Cooking is the leading cause of house fires in the United States. And unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires in homes, according to the NFPA.

AAA is predicting more than 109 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Maj. Dan Nicodemus, deputy chief of the Leavenworth Police Department, encourages drivers to allow themselves plenty of time to reach their destinations.

"The most important thing is to give yourself enough time to get there," he said.