GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A familiar wreath is now hanging outside all Green Bay fire stations, signaling the start of the holiday season. The wreaths are part of a public awareness campaign, encouraging fire safety during the holidays.
“It’s really a a public awareness and safety campaign,” said Green Bay Metro Fire Lieutenant, Shauna Walesh. “As we all know, Thanksgiving is one of the peak days for residential fires. This is nationwide, but even in our own community we do see incidents every year.”
Every year Green Bay averages 15 residential fires during the holiday season. Careless cooking is usually the leading cause of these fires.
“If we have a residential fire during that time, one of the bulbs would be changed out to red. But it’s just trying educate and make people aware, whether you can live in a house or apartment building, you name it, just for people to practice fire safety,” Walesh told WTAQ News. “Some people might be cooking for the first time for a Thanksgiving meal, or maybe they’re finally getting back together with their bigger family celebration.”
But simply preventing a house fire isn’t their only advice. Walesh recommends avoiding cooking in a crowded kitchen.
“If you have little ones [or pets], I have a toddler myself, use those baby gates while in the kitchen. We’d hate to see anybody getting injured from hot liquids like coffee, gravy, any of that stuff that can cause burns,” Walesh said.
Another common problem involves people using turkey fryers on wooden decks, or in their garage.
“The biggest thing is to always, always, always use them outdoors. Never use them within a structure, and have a fire extinguisher nearby just in case,” Walesh said. “If you have an accident with one, call 911. The fire department is always available 24/7. We would hate for a fire to happen, get out of hand, and cause further damage…Call 911 right away, even if you’re able to put it out by just putting a lid on or turning the heat off. The fire department there for a reason, and we would hate to come back at a later time and for that incident to be much worse.”
Many people also take the Thanksgiving weekend to set up their winter and Christmas decorations, including lights. Walesh hopes most people can avoid having the tangled mess and wild escapades similar to Clark Griwold from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
“Hopefully that’s not the case for people, but if you do, make sure that when you’re untangling them that you don’t have any exposed wires or broken bulbs. And make sure they’re rated for indoor or outdoor use,” Walesh said.
It’s also recommended to double-check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, keep holiday decorations at least 3-feet from open flames and heat sources, and to water your Christmas tree daily – as dry trees are highly flammable.
The campaign starts Thanksgiving Day and runs through Jan. 1, 2022.
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