Lakefront Owner Lit X-Mas Trees on Fire and Set if Offshore: Police

A call of a possible boat on fire on Lake Michigan in Wilmette resulted in a citation for a village resident for allegedly piling dead Christmas trees on a pallet, lighting the stack and floating the creation offshore.

According to Wilmette police, Randolph Kretchmar, 63 was hosting a number of guests around 8:48 p.m. on August 1 when he set the fiery creation offshore.

After a call was placed to police, a response by the Coast Guard, Wilmette police and Wilmette fire ensued.