"I'm not a Grinch:" Against GOP criticism, fire marshal defends decision to ban real Christmas trees in churches

MADISON -- Republican lawmakers are circulating a bill that would prohibit Wisconsin municipalities from banning live Christmas trees in the state Capitol rotunda and churches.

Fire marshals with two fire departments, Kewaskum and Jackson, have told church leaders they can no longer put real trees in their churches. Fire marshals in those villages say the trees become a fire hazard when they dry out or get placed near candles, leading to criticism from GOP legislators.

"The last thing we need is for bureaucrats to play the Grinch in every church in Wisconsin at Christmas," said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in a news release. Vos is backing the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum, and Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater.

The bill, which Kremer and Nass emailed to other lawmakers Tuesday, December 22nd, requesting their support, would allow fire officials to remove trees only if there was a complaint and inspectors found a violation.

Jackson Fire Marshal Chuck Ruetten said he began working with six local churches in 2008 to convert to artificial trees. All of the churches have switched over, and Ruetten said the community is safer for it.

"The Jackson Fire Department, we aren’t Grinches. We’re about fire safety," Ruetten said. "We’re doing our job. We are preventing fires and doing what we can to protect people."

Wisconsin adopted national standards in 2008 that prohibit live Christmas trees in places where 50 or more people gather, such as churches. The standards allow real trees if "adequate safeguards" are in place, but the policy doesn't say what qualifies as a safeguard.

The City of Milwaukee expressly allows churches to have real Christmas trees unless there's a complaint and inspectors find the church to have violated one of the city's required safeguards.

"We are complaint-driven," said Todd Weiler, a spokesman for the city's Department of Neighborhood Services. "Most churches (have sprinkler systems) now and storefront churches with 49 or fewer members would also be exempt."

Kremer said Jackson and Kewaskum were the only municipalities he knew of that had banned real trees in churches.

He said the bill was being circulated in time for Christmas, acknowledging that it's created controversy on social media sites and talk radio.

"This is not a 'War on Christmas' issue," Kremer said. "This is a problem the state brought on itself. We adopted these (fire) codes without clarifying exactly what they mean."

Pastor Tim Henning at St. Lucas Evangelical Church in Kewaskum said it would be the last year for a real tree after the village fire chief warned him that the trees would be prohibited in 2016.

A church member has donated a freshly-cut pine every year for more than 20 years, Henning said.

"Our members do prefer the real tree," he said. "I know there are other communities that do allow it -- that's the inconsistency. There’s other communities in our area that allow live trees, and the fire chiefs have never questioned it."

Kewaskum Fire Chief Mark Groeschel didn't return a phone call or email from FOX6 News. No one answered the door at the department on Wednesday.

Henning said in recent years, the church has installed an automatic watering system so the tree doesn't dry out. It's also not near an exit or candles.

Ruetten, the fire marshal in Jackson, said he'd be open to allowing a real tree with a watering system.

"We’re open minded. We want to work with people," he said. That’s the way you do it. You can’t be a Grinch, not for Christmas."