Savannah Fire changes 5th bulb on safety wreath, marking another holiday fire

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – In the last week, the Savannah Fire Department has added the first five red lights to its safety wreath, each representing a holiday fire.

The fifth bulb was added on Tuesday following a porch fire in the 1000 block of Shawnee Street just before noon. Firefighters say the suspected cause was “a carelessly discarded cigarette.”

The fire was quickly extinguished and no one was injured or displaced.

Through Jan. 2, the department will be swapping out a green bulb for a red one each time a fire occurs and issuing safety reminders to “keep the wreath green” throughout the holiday season.

In light of Tuesday’s fire, Savannah Fire encourages residents to follow this advice:

• If you smoke, smoke outside away from your home
• Carefully extinguish smoking materials in a deep ashtray or sand
• Never flick cigarettes out windows or into the yard
• Never smoke in bed or while sleepy

The department is also offering free smoke alarms, smoke alarm batteries and home fire safety surveys to Savannahians. Call 912-651-6756 for more information.