CFD changes first two lights in Red Wreath Challenge
The two white lights represent two unattended cooking fires.
Published Dec. 11, 2009
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Two white bulbs were added to a wreath Thursday outside of the Columbia Fire Department on Tenth Street. CFD hopes to raise fire saftey awareness by replacing red bulbs with white ones each time there is a fire.
Two light bulbs on the wreath outside the Columbia downtown fire station have been changed from red to white to represent the first two fires of the 2009 holiday season.
According to a Columbia Fire Department news release, Operation Red Wreath is an annual tradition at the Columbia Fire Department and is meant to raise awareness about fires during the holiday season. A wreath with red lights hangs outside the fire station and one bulb is changed to white for every fire that occurs between Dec. 1 and Jan. 4, the news release stated.
"Its goal is to raise awareness that fire can strike at any point, while it's often felt deeper during the holiday season," CFD Battalion Chief Steven Sapp said. "We just want people to give a little extra thought this time of year to the prevention of fire."
So far in the operation, unattended cooking caused two fires Dec. 4, the news release stated.
Unattended cooking is the most common cause of fire, Sapp said. CFD has handled more than 90 unattended cooking fires in 2009.
Last year, two of the four fires that occurred during Operation Red Wreath were due to unattended cooking, Sapp said. The other two were electrical fires.
An average of three bulbs are changed to white each year, Sapp said. This is Operation Red Wreath's 10th year in operation.
In December, activities that might impede fire safety are common, Sapp said. People cook often and have parties that might involve smoking. Fireplaces, heating devices and candles are all used more frequently during the holiday season.
According to a report from the National Fire Incident Reporting System, more than half of the residential fires that occur in December are due to cooking equipment being left unattended or combustible materials left too close to a heat source.
The number of cooking fires peaks on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., NFIRS stated.
The CFD Web site also includes safety tips concerning cooking, Christmas trees, candles and decorative lights.
