Christmas is right around the corner, and if you're bringing a tree into your home, there are some fire safety tips that you should know. Along with holiday celebrations come holiday decorations, but those decorations can be dangerous in the home.

"There's not a single firehouse where we don't hear the stories of the Christmas fire, the holiday season fires," said Mark McConnell, a fire marshal in New Mexico.

Christmas trees are the main danger during the winter months. McConnell said the tree we choose for our home is vital.

"We're bringing these trees into the homes. They're beautiful and they're great, but they dry out, and we have a lot of electrical around them," McConnell said.

That's the difference: a dry tree and a watered tree.

"If that dry tree catches, there's a chance that it'll go out of control to a point where there'll be horrible damage by the time we get there," McConnell said.

So how can we be sure to pick the right tree? McConnell said when you buy the tree, you want to make sure that the pines don't just fall apart as you touch it.

He also said that when you leave the house for holiday travel, unplug the electrical hazards next to it. Make sure that your tree is 3 feet away from any type of heating source.

What if you're not bringing in a tree for the holidays? McConnell said we still have to be careful making those sweet holiday desserts.

"A lot of our fires are gonna be when the oven is really dirty inside, hasn't been cleaned for years," McConnell said. "And some of that particulate that's been left in there is gonna catch fire."

Watch the full story in the video above.

As the world waits to learn how the omicron variant might impact the global COVID-19 pandemic, it's easy to get caught up in the unknowns. Instead, health officials are reminding us of the simple yet effective tools we all have to combat the virus.

Here's a refresher on how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Get vaccinated

Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to protect yourself and those around you. Vaccines are readily available across the U.S. and many Americans are now eligible for a booster shot.

"Get your vaccine, get your booster," Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told CNN. "It's the best chance we've got to drive this COVID-19 pandemic away."

Vaccines have proven to be safe and effective at reducing severe COVID-19 cases.

Wear a mask properly

It's simple, but wearing a mask properly is one of the most important ways you can protect yourself and those around you, health experts say.

N95 masks offer the best protection. Washable, breathable cloth masks will do the job, but they should have at least two layers — three are better — and you can add a filter for more protection.

Masks should cover both your nose and mouth, and should fit snugly, with no gaps.

Goggles or face shields aren't necessarily recommended for eye protection if you are not a health care worker or are in high-risk situations, health experts have said.

Check for symptoms and get tested

Fever, coughing and shortness of breath are among the most common symptoms of COVID-19, the disease the coronavirus causes.

But there's also diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, loss of smell and taste, body aches, mental confusion and even delirium.

Have a runny or stuffed-up nose? Unless you have a fever, it's probably just allergies, such as can be caused by leaf mold at this time of year.

If you have been exposed to the coronavirus, symptoms will probably show up within a week, health experts say. That is, if you are going to have them at all — which some people don't. Any or all symptoms can appear between two and 14 days after exposure to the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you suspect you have been infected, go to a testing center near you. Contact your local or state health department to find out where to get a test.

Serious symptoms include difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in your chest, new confusion, the inability to stay awake or wake up and bluish face or lips, according to the CDC.

Wash your hands

Washing your hands frequently is still one of the most basic and simple things you can do.

Work up a good lather and scrub your hands, fingers and under your nails for at least 20 seconds. Use clean, running water to thoroughly rinse, then scrub them dry.

Washing for at least 20 seconds has been shown to remove more microbes than washing for shorter periods. Singing "Happy Birthday" twice while washing can work as a "timer."

Frequent handwashing will also protect you from all sorts of harmful bacteria and viruses other than the new coronavirus, including influenza and the common cold.

Use hand sanitizer

It's not as good as washing your hands with good old soap, but hand sanitizer can be used when soap isn't an option.

It's important both of your hands are covered completely, including between the fingers and under the nails. Rub your hands until they are dry. Use it generously if your hands are greasy or really dirty since the sanitizer might not be as effective in that case, according to the CDC.

Unlike at the beginning of the pandemic, hand sanitizer is relatively easy to find in stores, so don't try to make your own. Health experts say it's critical you get the right concentration of alcohol to disable the virus.

Reduce your risk

The best thing you can do is stay home, if possible, and reduce your risk by cutting down on errands and trips to the store.

Not everyone has the luxury of doing it, of course, but social distancing — keeping 6 feet between you and others outside your household — and wearing a mask are critical.

The safest place outside your home is the outdoors. But even there, you should keep a safe distance from people you don't live with.

You can also reduce risk by getting take-out food instead of dining in restaurants and avoiding public transportation, if possible.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is clarifying their stance on reopening schools this fall, pushing for science-based decisions and calling on Congress to provide necessary federal funding for campuses to reopen safely.

The AAP, joining together with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA) and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, said they share the desire to welcome children back to schools this fall, however safety concerns must be considered.

“Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue re-opening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff. Science should drive decision-making on safely reopening schools. Public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics,” the statement reads.

They go on to say a one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate, given the nature of the pandemic across the country.

The AAP released guidance last month discussing the physical, emotional and mental benefits of returning to in-person classes and offered suggestions for how districts could make safety plans. Including wearing masks, bringing lunch from home, keeping kids socially distant in classrooms and limiting classroom-to-classroom movement. Their guidance was based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The guidance kicked off a discussion on the national level about whether students should return to schools or continue virtual learning this fall.

Wednesday, President Trump said he strongly believes schools should re-open to in-person learning. The president also said he thought the guidance from the CDC was too high of a barrier to schools re-opening. The CDC announced Thursday they would not be changing their guidelines at this time.

With COVID-19 infections at their highest levels since January and hospitalizations at a level not seen since the winter surge, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending indoor masking even for vaccinated people. While new studies show that the COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide excellent protection against severe disease, the data suggest there may be decreased protection against the delta variant.

There are many people who are fully vaccinated and want to be responsible members of society. They are wondering, what can and should they continue to do? What about getting together with friends, dining indoors, and going to the gym? Can vaccinated grandparents still get together with their unvaccinated grandchildren?

To help answer these questions, we spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. Wen is an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She's also author of a new book, "Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health."

Q: How should people be thinking differently about risk given the rise in infections and new research?

Dr. Leana Wen: In terms of processing where we are right now, I think people should keep two things in mind. First, most parts of the United States have substantial or high COVID-19 transmission, as defined by the CDC. We need to think about the vaccine as a very good raincoat. If it's drizzling outside — if the level of infection isn't very high — the vaccines will protect very well. But if it's a constant thunderstorm, then there's a higher chance of getting wet. A vaccinated person is at higher risk when surrounded by a lot of people who could be infected with COVID-19, and that's what occurring throughout the U.S. right now.

Second, we are entering a phase in the pandemic where nearly all activities will have some level of risk. People need to decide for themselves what risk they are comfortable with by considering their household's medical circumstances and the value of the activity to them.

If everyone in your household is fully vaccinated and generally healthy, you might be willing to take on more risk. You might conclude that even if a breakthrough infection were to happen, it would probably be mild, and you are OK with taking on that risk in order to continue your pre-pandemic activities. Someone else could decide that, because they live at home with unvaccinated younger children or immunocompromised family members, they want to be more cautious.

I think that both options are equally reasonable. The vast majority of the spread of Covid-19 is by people who are unvaccinated. Vaccinated people are not a threat to public health, and they should be able to exercise their own judgment about what activities are safe enough for them.

Q: Let's go through the risk of specific activities. What's the risk of indoor dining?

Wen: Indoor dining in a restaurant definitely has more risk than dining outdoors. What that risk depends on several factors. For starters, what's the space configuration in the restaurant? A very crowded, poorly ventilated setting will have a higher risk than a venue in which you could spread out from other diners.

Also, who are you dining with? If everyone in your party is known to be fully vaccinated, and these are the only people who will be near you, that is a safer scenario than if members of your own party are unvaccinated. I'd also look at the rate of virus transmission in your community. The lower the rate, the potentially safer it is.

Q: How about going to the gym?

Wen: Again, that depends on the circumstances. If you're using the elliptical or weight machines, and no one is close to you, then it's pretty safe. If you're attending outdoor gym classes, the risk is also low. But if you're going to, say, a high intensity exercise class where a lot of people are breathing heavily, near one another, and you don't know whether they are vaccinated, the risk is substantially higher.

Q: Would you travel?

Wen: The risk of air travel is pretty low and can be reduced further if you are wearing a high-quality mask like an N95 or KN95. The bigger concern is what happens once you get to your destination.

Q: What about a private gathering with friends where everyone is vaccinated? Would it be OK to continue dinner parties and other indoor get-togethers?

Wen: That will certainly be a lot lower risk than if the same people were together, but they were unvaccinated. A CDC study this week found that those who are unvaccinated have five times the rate of getting COVID-19 than the vaccinated (and a 29-times higher likelihood of being hospitalized or dying from coronavirus).

A lot of vaccinated people would feel comfortable with the level of risk in this situation. Again, it's not zero, but it's fairly low. That's particularly true if the other people at the gathering have a similar level of risk tolerance to you and are otherwise not engaging in high-risk activities — for example, if they always wear masks when in indoor public spaces and if they avoid higher-risk exposures such as crowded bars and restaurants.

Q: Last fall and winter, people formed pandemic pods. Would you recommend doing this again?

Wen: For some people, yes, I would. There are many people who really want to minimize the chance of having a breakthrough infection. That includes individuals who have underlying medical conditions, where a breakthrough infection that's mild for someone else could land them in the hospital. Others might be pretty healthy themselves, but don't want to be asymptomatic carriers who could transmit COVID-19 to their vulnerable family members. People in similar situations, who have a similar approach when it comes to caution in their lives, could decide to form a pandemic pod with one another. They could decide to socialize only others in the same pod indoors.

My family has done this with another family that has young, unvaccinated children. That makes childcare, carpooling and playdates easier. I'd also advise others to consider the level of caution other households have before deciding to get together indoors with them. When in doubt, get together outdoors only.

Q: Can vaccinated grandparents still be getting together with their unvaccinated grandchildren?

Wen: Yes. I'd advise grandparents who are concerned about transmitting COVID-19 to their unvaccinated grandchildren can choose to reduce their own risk in the three to five days prior to seeing their grandkids. They could refrain from indoor get-togethers with others during this period, and, if they want to be extra safe, I'd suggest that they get tested just before seeing their grandkids.

My advice is the same the other way around, for the grandkids, if grandparents are particularly vulnerable. The grandkids can always make sure to wear masks indoors around others in the three to five days prior to getting together and then getting tested before the reunion.

If all of this is too much, consider seeing one another outdoors only. Outdoors remains much safer than indoors. And, of course, if there are any individuals age 12 and above who are not yet vaccinated, they should do so as soon as possible, to protect them and others around them.

Everyone is safe after a fire destroyed a home in Liberty Township on Sunday night.

The home on Tilbury Trail went up in flames around 6:30 p.m. Fire officials say the owners were home and everyone got out safely.

It's unclear what started the fire and an investigation is underway.

Fire officials say they hope video caught on a neighbor's doorbell camera will help in the investigation.

The news about a potential link between the COVID-19 vaccine and a cardiac ailment in young people may be striking fear in the hearts of some parents.

But pediatric cardiologists have a message for these parents: COVID-19 should scare you more — a whole lot more — than the vaccine.

And these doctors should know. They've treated young patients who've contracted this heart ailment after vaccination — it's called myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle — and they've also treated young patients who've had COVID-19.

There simply is no comparison between the two, they say.

Myocarditis sounds scary, but there are mild versions of it. In almost all cases among vaccinated young people (they were ages 16 to 24), the symptoms have gone away quickly. COVID-19, on the other hand, can be a long illness, or it can kill a young person — it has already killed thousands of them.

CNN spoke with pediatric cardiologists Dr. Kevin Hall at the Yale School of Medicine and Dr. Stuart Berger at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who is also chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics section on cardiology and cardiac surgery, about the cases of myocarditis that have been spotted among young people after vaccination with the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

Both doctors, as well as the American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for young people.

What causes myocarditis, and how often does it happen to young people?

While myocarditis is relatively uncommon, it does happen to young people (and we mean long before the COVID-19 vaccine ever came along). Usually it's caused by a viral or bacterial infection. A different vaccine, one against smallpox, has previously been linked to myocarditis.

There's a wide spectrum of myocarditis. Some people don't feel anything and they're fine without treatment. For others, myocarditis can be deadly.

Berger estimates that at the emergency room where he works at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, they see approximately one child a week with the condition in the summer, when coxsackie and other viruses that cause myocarditis are in full bloom. Generally speaking, these young people are otherwise healthy.

People from puberty through their early 30s are at higher risk for myocarditis, according to the Myocarditis Foundation. Males are affected twice as often as females.

How many people in the US have developed myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination?

As of May 31, nearly 170 million Americans had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Through that time, fewer than 800 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart), have been reported after receiving the vaccine, according to the CDC, most of them after the second dose. And these are preliminary numbers — they might be lower as further investigation could show that not all of these people actually had myocarditis or pericarditis.

Are these numbers unusual?

As mentioned, people get myocarditis and pericarditis — inflammation of the lining around the heart — even without the COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC set out to determine if the numbers of post-vaccination myocarditis and pericarditis are higher than what you'd see without the COVID-19 vaccine.

The answer was "yes" for people ages 16 to 24. The CDC found that among 16-and 17-year-olds, as of May 31, there were 79 reports of the illnesses soon after vaccination, and ordinarily, you'd expect to see around two to 19 cases in this group. Among 18-to-24-year-olds, there were 196 reported cases, and you'd expect to see between 8 and 83 cases. There were also reports of myocarditis and pericarditis in older age groups, but the numbers weren't higher than what you'd normally expect.

Did the myocarditis in these vaccinated young people make them really sick?

It sounds like an inflamed heart would, by definition, always be a huge deal, right? But it isn't.

"Many times, people have myocarditis and don't even know it. It goes away and they're fine," Berger said.

In the vast majority of these post-vaccination cases, patients had a full recovery.

Looking at 270 patients who were admitted and discharged from the hospital as of May 31, the CDC has found that 81% had full recovery of symptoms. The other 19% had ongoing symptoms or their recovery status was unknown.

Hall, the pediatric cardiologist at Yale, said many of the post-vaccination myocarditis patients at his hospital didn't feel very sick, but they were admitted so doctors could do more testing and out of an abundance of caution.

"Some of these young men and boys were rather upset that they had to stay in the hospital," Hall said.

What kinds of symptoms did these young people have?

Hall is co-author of a study published last week looking at seven cases of myocarditis among adolescents after vaccination.

They all had chest pain, and some of them also had fevers or felt weak or tired.

Their symptoms began between two and four days after the second dose of the vaccine. They spent two to six days in the hospital. For all seven patients, their symptoms resolved rapidly with medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and steroids.

All seven of the cases were males. In the CDC report, most of the cases were males.

How do young people do when they get COVID-19?

This gets to the heart of the issue. When young people developed myocarditis following vaccination, the numbers were small, and they weren't very sick.

While most young people who develop COVID-19 are fine, some do develop complications and even die from the infection.

As of June 9, 2,637 people under age 30 have had deaths that involved COVID-19, according to the CDC. As of June 5, preliminary data shows 3,110 people under the age of 18 have been hospitalized, a number the CDC says is likely an underestimate.

Berger and Hall have each taken care of dozens of COVID-19 patients.

"Some of them spent weeks in the intensive care unit. They had poor heart function. They had acute infections that were completely preventable by the vaccine," Berger said.

Even if they recovered, some have had long-term illnesses.

"We do remain concerned about these children in the long term," Hall said. "We have seen some with persistent changes in their cardiac testing. This is a very serious disease."