MANKATO (TEC News) – Three holiday fires put three red lights on a holiday wreath outside Mankato’s Fire Station #1.The Mankato Department of Public Safety conducted their annual “Keep the wreath bright, prevent a red light” fire safety campaign from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.
The goal of the fire safety message was to give a visual reminder to residents to keep the wreath lit with clear bulbs. Every time there was a fire, a clear bulb was replaced with a red bulb. If there was a fire with preventable injuries, a blue bulb would have been added.
One fire was caused by a combustible item too close to a toaster. A second fire was cause when a mattress caught fire from careless smoking. A third fire remains under investigation.
Total damage from the three fires has been estimated at $203,000.