The Chapel Hill Fire Department hopes to “keep the wreath green” this month to raise awareness about holiday-season fires.
On Thursday, the department put a wreath with green lights on display in front of Fire Station No. 1 on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. For every residential fire that occurs during December, one of the green bulbs on the wreath will be replaced with a red bulb as part of the Keep the Wreath Green campaign.
“When they see that red bulb on our wreath, it’s just a reminder that fires do happen in our community,” Deputy Fire Chief Matt Lawrence said.
Capt. Mary Blevins, assistant fire marshal, said she hopes people will notice the wreath and take extra care this month.
“We just know, historically, that around the holiday season, fire risk increases because of candles, trees, paper and heat sources,” she said.
The campaign was started by former Capt. Rodney Watson in 2000, and the fire department has continued with the campaign every year since, Blevins said.
“Any time we bring people’s attention to fire safety, we consider that a success,” she said.
Lorraine Carli, spokeswoman for the National Fire Protection Association, said many fire departments around the country do a little extra to advocate fire safety around the holidays.
In Chapel Hill last year, there was one fire during December, leaving the wreath with one red bulb. The fire was caused by faulty wiring in an apartment building.