Local fire departments promote holiday fire safety with wreath light program

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - As families gather at the dinner table for their Thanksgiving traditions, local fire stations are holding their own annual tradition as a way to keep safety top of mind.

It’s that time of year when you see the big green wreaths hanging outside every Green Bay Metro Fire Station, but it’s not just a holiday decoration.

“It’s actually part of a public safety campaign to bring awareness to fire safety, but also make note of during the holidays, we usually see a higher increase in residential fires,” says Lt. Shauna Walesh with the Green Bay Metro Fire Department.

The wreaths start out filled with green bulbs, and one will turn red every time a fire happens locally.

As families gather and cook for the holidays, firefighters want you to be careful and aware of everything happening in your kitchen.

“Thanksgiving is actually peak day for cooking fires, it’s a holiday that’s really associated with food and gathering. The other two highest days are Christmas and Christmas Eve, believe it or not,” says Lt. Walesh. “All year-round cooking is the highest cause of fires locally and also nationwide as well.”

According to data by the U.S. Fire Administration, fire departments responded to an estimated 170,000 home cooking fires across the country, which caused close to half a billion dollars in property damage.

11 fires occurred last year’s holiday season, with over half of them being cooking-related.

“We want to end it in green, but if we do see a red bulb on a tree, just note there was a fire that happened locally and just think about fire safety in your own home and what you can do,” says Lt. Walesh.

The program begins on Thursday and runs through New Year’s Day.

It’s a way to help remind people to stay safe when cooking, so everyone can have the happiest holidays possible.

Other departments around Wisconsin are taking part in the program, including Oconto Fire & Rescue.