WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Walla Walla Fire Department is asking residents to “Keep the Wreaths Red” this holiday season.
Wreaths lit with red lights will be mounted at each of the Walla Walla fire stations. Whenever there’s a fire, the department will replace one red bulb with a white one.
The program serves as a visual reminder to be fire-safe over the holidays.
According to WWFD, the winter months typically bring a surge of house fires, usually starting around Thanksgiving and stretching into the new year.
The National Fire Protection Association and U.S. Fire Administration says cooking is the leading cause of residential building fires at 74%. During the rest of the year, cooking is responsible for about 51% of house fires.
According to these agencies, cooking fires also cause an estimated five deaths and 25 injuries on average every year.
To avoid having a cooking fire ruin your Thanksgiving meal, the NFPA recommends you keep a close eye on you stovetop and turkey. You should also keep pets and children away from the stove and make sure smoke alarms are working properly.
ALSO ON YAKTRINEWS.COM:
COPYRIGHT 2022 BY YAKTRINEWS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.