Depending on the species of tree, most will be fire retardant as long as they are well watered. Cedars are a poor choice, they dry out rapidly. The most common "do-it-yourself" mixture is as follows:

Saw off the bottom inch of the tree trunk (straight, not at an angle) and let it stand overnight in a bucket with the following mixture:
2 gallons of hot water,
2 cups of corn syrup,
1/8th cup Epsom salts,
1/4th cup liquid bleach and
½ teaspoon of Borax.
The tree should then be placed in a container filled with water for the duration of the holidays.

Check the water often. A tree will drink the most when it first comes indoors. Never let it go dry. If you do, the base will seal and it will be difficult, if not impossible, to get the tree to drink again.

And this is the explaination of why it works.

Think of a Christmas tree as nothing but a large cut flower. To make it fire resistant all we have to do is keep it from drying out.

Once the tree is removed from its natural environment it is limited in its ability to make carbohydrates, water intake is reduced, and it dies (dries up).

The corn syrup (such as Karo) provides sugar, and allows water to be taken up by the exposed tissue at the base of the tree trunk.
The Borax (containing boron) allows water and sugar to be moved to the needles and branches of the tree (boron is what makes sugar move, not only in trees, but vegetables, fruits, and houseplants).
Epsom salt (not just "salt") is magnesium sulfate, and magnesium (together with iron) is the center molecule in the process of chlorophyll production.
The chlorine bleach stops mold from forming when the sugar and water are combined.

Hope this helps somewhat in understanding the process.

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