DANVILLE, Va. - The Chrismon tree at Ascension Lutheran Church is going up - fire code or no fire code.
While Jonathan Hamman, pastor Ascension Lutheran, said Tuesday he isn’t happy about not being in compliance with the state’s recently adopted International Fire Code, he said his church didn’t have enough time to make other arrangements for the famous tree that draws hundreds of people to Danville every Christmas season.
“We hate to be in violation, (but) this is an important way to spread the gospel,” he said. “We need to continue this ministry.”
According to the new fire code, which went into effect in Virginia on Oct. 1, no church without an automatic sprinkler system can display a natural cut Christmas tree.
The code also prohibits natural cut trees inside institutional buildings, educational facilities, and other places where large groups of people gather.
On Dec. 3, the state fire marshal amended the code so that apartment buildings with more than two dwelling units without sprinkler systems could have the trees.
All of the building types the code lists, except institutional buildings, can have natural cut trees if a sprinkler system is installed.
Danville Fire Marshal David Eagle said he wasn’t thrilled to learn the church had erected the Chrismon tree, but said the city lacks the manpower to enforce the code in all buildings.
As such, the city won’t be bursting through the church’s doors to issue a citation, he said.
Eagle said city fire officials are currently concentrating more on educating people about the new code rather than enforcing it, since it will take people a while to become acquainted with the restrictions.
Eagle also said he understood the church’s reasoning.
“It was short notice,” he said.
However, Eagle said if there is a fire as a result of the Chrismon tree, the church would be “liable, criminally and civilly” for the damage incurred.
Punishment for such an offense is a class one misdemeanor, which carries penalties of up to a year in prison and a $2,500 fine.
Hamman estimated the tree is roughly 23 feet tall and 10 feet wide. He said it will take about a week to fully dress it with decorations that depict a variety of Christian symbols.
“It’s a very visual way to see the symbols,” he said. “Most of them are new, but some of them have been with us since the beginning.”
The Chrismon tree originated at Ascension Lutheran in 1957, when Frances Kipps Spencer, a Danville woman, created the first Christ-oriented ornaments. The tree’s popularity led to the display of similar trees around the world.
Hamman said the tree elicits hundreds of inquiries from all over the world each year, but he said many of this year’s calls were from people who were worried that there wouldn’t be a Chrismon tree this season.
“Most people assumed we wouldn’t have a tree,” Hamman said.
Hamman said while his parishioners were shocked at the fire code’s stringency, he said his church is dedicated to achieving compliance with the code.
He said one of the church’s loyal supporters recently died, and left a large amount of money to the church. Hamman said those funds would be used to install a sprinkler system at the church.
“It’s our goal to be in compliance,” he said.
Eagle said code violators will typically be given 30 days to make their buildings comply with the code. If human lives are put in danger as a result of the violation, he said, modifications will have to be made much sooner.
For more information on the International Fire Code, contact the Danville Fire Department at (434) 799-5226.
Contact Jeff Davis at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or (434) 793-2311, Ext. 3091.
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