Enjoy the Holidays. Be fire safe and Keep the Wreath Green. Watch the Wreaths at your local Fire Station.
Written by
Karen Madden
Daily Tribune Staff
Each year, people report an average of 2,000 residential fires on Thanksgiving Day in the United States -- almost double the number from any other day of the year, according to a report from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Thanksgiving also marks the first day of Wood County's Keep the Wreath Green Program. Beginning today and going through New Year's Eve, fire departments in the county will replace one green bulb on their department wreaths with a red one for every structure fire in the county.
The holidays are an appropriate time for fire departments to remind the public about fire safety because it's a high-risk time of year, Wisconsin Rapids Fire Capt. Bob Barteck said. People are bringing Christmas trees into their homes and putting up lighting. Using the familiar Christmas wreath with the red and green bulbs is a good way to remind the public to be safe during the holiday season, he said.
Many of the fires in homes across the country today will occur between noon and 4 p.m. as people cook their meals, Marshfield Deputy Fire Chief Bob Haight said.
Another problem is the trend of people going outside to smoke, Haight said. With weather getting colder during the holiday season, people want to smoke and get back inside quickly, throwing cigarettes into plastic garbage cans or other places where they can start fires. Cigarettes should be put in a noncombustible container and kept there for at least 24 hours, Haight said.
Deep-fried turkeys can be another issue. Large quantities of oil and open flames aren't a good combination, Pittsville Fire Chief Jerry Minor said. Many people will decide to fry the turkeys in the garage.
"If it's an attached garage, it's the same as frying it in the house," Minor said. "Go outside and away from buildings."
Throughout the rest of the holiday season, people need to be a little more careful in their homes because of holiday decorations, Minor said. They should make sure candles are kept away from flammable decorations and extinguished when no one is in the room.
Barteck reminds people to make sure they have working smoke detectors in their homes and that they practice a fire escape plan.
Address/Location
Wood County Dispatch Center
400 Market St
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 715-421-8701