The Chapel Hill Fire Department’s annual ‘Keep the Wreath Green’ initiative is underway.

For the initiative, the fire department displays a wreath decorated with green light bulbs at the station. Each time a house fire occurs during the holiday season, a green bulb gets replaced with a red bulb.

While the wreath stays fully green about half the time, Fire Chief Matt Sullivan says it’s important to take extra care during the holidays.

“The ‘Keep the Wreath Green’ initiative is a good way to remind people in the holiday season to keep Christmas trees and greenery wet,” says Sullivan,”and to pay special extra attention things inside the house to make sure there aren’t any house fires.”

Chapel Hill Fire Marshall Emily Powell says all of the added risks that come with holiday traditions are what can lead to an uptick in house fires during the month of December.

“The things that we don’t typically have, [like] candles, your fire place, extra electrical, the strand lights, the inflatables,” says Powell. “We’re adding all these things to our homes that aren’t typically there, and on top of that we’re busier, we’re distracted, we’ve got more people in our homes. It’s just this confluence of risks that we’re taking.”

The ‘Keep the Wreath Green’ initiative runs through December 31. More information on the initiative is available at the Town of Chapel Hill’s website.

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