An evergreen Advent wreath, which was inside the museum’s chapel, ignited shortly after multiple candles were lit on candle holders within the center of the wreath, Fire Chief Kevin Partridge said in a press release. The wreath was located near the altar and three people were inside the chapel at the time of the fire.
The Easton Fire Department received an alarm around 11:15 a.m. and a 911 call reporting a fire inside the chapel at the museum at 518 Washington St.
Upon arrival of firefighters, the building had been evacuated and the fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system and a maintenance worker who used a fire extinguisher, according to Partridge.
No injuries were reported.
Once the fire started, the sprinkler system in the chapel activated and a maintenance worker heard people yelling about a fire and grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher to help put out the flames, Partridge said.
Firefighters arrived minutes later and shut down the sprinkler system and helped to carry wet furniture and other items out of the chapel.
The fire was contained to the wreath, but the chapel had a significant amount of water inside from the sprinkler, Partridge said. Firefighters used wet-vacs to remove as much of the water from the floor as they could before clearing the scene at approximately 12:20 p.m.
The chapel will be closed temporarily until the water can be completely dried.
“Thankfully the sprinkler system activated and kept the fire at bay and the maintenance worker sprung into action prior to our arrival,” Partridge said, “We are glad that no one was hurt and this incident should serve as a reminder that evergreen is extremely flammable and should never be kept near an open flame. Many churches use Advent wreaths this time of year, but we recommend that they use fake wreaths and keep a close eye on any candles with open flames.”
Partridge also reminded residents to regularly water their Christmas trees and to keep them away from any heat sources or open flames.
In addition, Chief Partridge would like to share some candle safety tips from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services:
Burn candles within a 1 foot circle free of anything that can burn.
Before you leave a room or the house, blow out candles. Never leave candles burning unattended.
Always extinguish candles after use.
Use a non-combustible saucer or candle holder.
Keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
To be safe, consider using flameless candles. Have flashlights and battery-powered lighting ready to use during a power outage instead of candles.
