Holiday Wreath aims to prevent fire in Chapel Hill

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- "Keep the Wreath Green," that's the name of the game. The Chapel Hill Fire Department is asking folks to help them keep the lights on their Christmas wreath green by following fire safety tips to help prevent house fires this holiday season.

The wreath is covered in green lights, and the fire department is replacing a green light with a red light for every residential structure fire between Dec. 2 and Jan. 1.

The wreath is hanging on Fire Station No. 1 on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The Chapel Hill Fire Department offers these tips for preventing fires this holiday season:

Decorations/Candles:

• Choose holiday decorations that made of flame-resistant, flame-retardant, or non-combustible materials
• Remove any obstacles from walking areas
• Never leave candles unattended
• For height-decorating, take appropriate protection measures and never work alone

Lighting:

• Inspect lighting before use, making sure all wires, bulbs, and connections are safe.
• Discard any lights with exposed wires, broken insulation, cracked or missing bulbs, or other defects
• Use lights listed by an independent testing laboratory
• Avoid the use of drop cords to operate holiday lights
• Turn off all holiday lights when you are away from home

Trees:

• Have the tree lot operator provide a "fresh cut" on the trunk by removing to 1 inch of the base of the tree
• Immediately place the tree in water and continuously keep the tree watered while in the house
• Look for signs of freshness on live trees by lightly pulling branches through your closed fist. Properly hydrated trees should retain their needles during this test
• Keep a close check on the dryness of the tree and remove the tree when needles easily fall off
• Do not locate trees near heat ducts, open flames, or in front of doors or windows that may be used as a means of escape from your home.

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