The Donna fire chief is warning Rio Grande Valley residents after a home caught fire. The fire marshal is still investigating to determine if the cause was a Christmas tree.

"All the cities experience some type of increase during this time of year and those the majority of the structure fire calls come from Christmas trees," Donna Fire Chief David Simmons said.

Officials said the homeowner had a real Christmas tree in the living room, where the fire was concentrated.

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If you have a Christmas tree in your home — real or fake — the fire chief says to keep candles, heaters and other heat sources at least three feet away from the tree. 

If you have a real tree, the fire chief says it's important to water it every day, because a dry tree burns faster.

"What you need to do is grab it, touch the needles, make sure they stay on, and they do not fall in your hand, that is an indication right there it's probably already drying out," Simmons said. "It's like a matchstick, it's going to ignite immediately when it comes into contact with any heat source."

The Hidalgo County fire marshal is leading the investigation into the Donna house fire. The home was heavily damaged, but the homeowner and son are still staying there.