A structure fire on the 7700 block of Breezewood Circle in Pensacola represents the first red bulb on the “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety wreath. Upon arrival of Escambia County Fire Rescue crews, smoke was noted coming from the roof, and a fire was found in the living room on a large chair. The fire was quickly extinguished.
The structure had extensive smoke damage throughout except for one bedroom, with a door that was closed prior to the fire, and the residents of the home have been displaced. The resident had been outside the home before the fire was noticed. The cause of the fire was determined to be an overloaded outlet, which had a multiple outlet plug with a space heater and lamp plugged in. The resident was using the space heater to warm the house. Escambia County Fire Rescue reminds citizens to turn space heaters off when you leave the room or home.
The “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign is a collaborative initiative with City of Pensacola and Santa Rosa County to promote fire safety during the month of December. During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths will be on display at 23 different county fire stations. Every time firefighters respond to a residential fire, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by holiday decorations.
To help citizens stay safe and “keep the wreath green,” officials are providing a holiday safety tip for each day of the month via the county’s Twitter account @BeReadyEscambia. Escambia County Fire Rescue encourages everyone to follow the safety tips and have a happy holiday season.
For questions or more information regarding fire safety or the “Keep the Wreath Green” campaign, contact the Escambia County Office of Community and Media Relations at (850) 595-3476 follow @MyEscambia on Twitter.
