GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — The wreaths stayed mostly green at both the Green Bay and Appleton Fire Departments this year.
Both departments put up a wreath made out of green Christmas lights and changed a bulb to red for every time they responded to a house fire during the holiday season. In Green Bay, just four such lights were switched out on their wreath, which is a massive improvement over the 14 they had to switch out last year.
“I really do think this year the bulb count is lower because people are spending more time at home,” said Green Bay Fire Lt. Shauna Walesh. “They’re being a little bit more cautious.”
In Appleton, three lights were turned red. Appleton Fire Battalion Chief Derek Henson says that’s about what they get during an average year.
“Unfortunately, we had three of them in really rapid succession at the beginning of the campaign,” Henson told WTAQ. “Then after that it really tapered off and we had a good end of the campaign.”
One of those red lights, tragically, was lit up following a November 28th housefire that killed an Appleton man.
