COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — When outside temperatures drop, fire emergency responses tend to increase.
It's a reality Colerain Township Fire Department has been working to tackle, and this year, their efforts may be yielding the best results yet.
The "Keep the Wreath Red" campaign runs from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. A wreath covered in red lights is hung on each of the township's five fire stations. The goal is to keep all the bulbs red. When crews respond to a house fire, they swap out a red bulb for a white one.
"People, when they drive by, they can look over at the wreath and see how many structure fires we have had since Thanksgiving," said Robert Rielage, special project manager for Colerain Township Department of Fire & EMS. "It becomes very apparent for people as they're driving by that something has happened."
Rielage said the department typically responds to an average of four or five house fires by the start of Christmas week, but 2022 is trending differently.
"This has been an unusual year," he said.
Since Thanksgiving, Colerain Township has only had one house fire.
Rielage credits the success partly to luck, but also to his department's regular community fire safety campaigns.
From knowing how to wire your home with lights, to keeping your Christmas tree hydrated, there are several holiday risks to be aware of, he said.
"This week's tip: Don't put wrapping paper into the fireplace because of the amount of heat it gives off is much greater than that of wood," Rielage said. "It can catch a chimney on fire, which in turn, if not kept 100% shape, it can cause an attic fire."
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, cooking fires still make up the majority of home fires in the winter months. Data shows one in every seven is caused by heating equipment. One in every five is fatal.
That's why experts stress fire safety, like making sure smoke detector works.
"It decreases the risk of death because it gives you that notification to get out of the home quickly," said Marita Salkowski, spokesperson for American Red Cross Greater Cincinnati Tri-State Chapter.
The American Red Cross will install free smoke detectors in homes if needed. During the service, volunteers will also provide fire safety tips and home escape plans. To make an appointment, call 1-844-207-4509.
Salkowski said having a working smoke detector in a home can lower the risk of dying in a house fire by 50%.
"It is estimated that it takes two minutes for a fire to spread rapidly," she said. "So basically you have two minutes to escape your home to seek safety from the home fire."
Nationwide, the American Red Cross responds to more home fires than any other disaster. Last year, the Greater Cincinnati Tri-State Chapter was called out to 62 from November to December. This November, volunteers responded to 43.
"It's not just the replacement of stuff, right? It's also trying to help people process what it is that they've been through," Salkowski said.
It's a tragedy difficult for both the victims and responders, especially as the region braces for a blast of arctic weather.
"If you can imagine what that is for a firefighter who is not only applying water but in a full, self-contained breathing apparatus and their turnout gear and standing with a windchill of -15 degrees," Rielage said. "We have to rotate those people through very often."
Now, with just two weeks to go in this year's campaign, Colerain Township fire crews hope the wreath stays red so every family can be home for Christmas.
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