Appleton kitchen fire adds second red bulb to Christmas wreath

APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – A Tuesday morning kitchen added a second red bulb to the Appleton Fire Department’s Christmas Wreath.

Appleton Fire crews were dispatched to a residential house fire on Linden Lane on the city’s east side at around 11:40 a.m.

The initial call indicated that there was a fire in the kitchen and flames were visible.

First arriving crews confirmed black smoke was coming from the kitchen window and all occupants had safely evacuated the home.

Appleton Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire within 15 minutes, but not before it caused damage to the kitchen, including damage to an exterior wall and significant smoke damage throughout the home.

Current conditions make the house non-inhabitable at this time. The Red Cross is working with the occupants to provide assistance.

The investigation confirmed the cause of the fire was related to cooking. An initial estimate for the cost of the damage, structure, and contents is about $100,000.

Appleton Fire says smoke alarms were not functioning at the time of the fire.

The Appleton Fire Department is again participating in the ‘Keep the Wreath Campaign’ that’s intended to raise awareness of the importance of fire safety. The wreath is lit with all green lights, which are changed to red lights for every structure fire that occurs from Thanksgiving to January 1.

In 2019, Appleton Fire had just one red bulb.

A deadly house fire in the 1500 block of N. Clark Street on Nov. 28 added the first red light to Appleton Fire’s wreath.