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A Spotlight on Innovative Fire Prevention and Safety Programs

Fire Prevention Week 2009

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Kelvin J. Cochran, U.S. Fire Administrator

Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned is the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week. USFA is hosting a fire safety fair today at FEMA Headquarters in Washington, DC and fire departments across the county are conducting events throughout the week.

It is at this time of year we commemorate that tragic event that occurred on October 9, 1871. That event was the Great Chicago Fire which killed 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire actually started the day before but did most of the damage on October 9th. Each year the week in which October 9th occurs is declared Fire Prevention Week.

Even with modern technology, advances in firefighting techniques and ongoing public education programs, fire departments in this country must respond to approximately 400,000 residential fires resulting in more than 3,000 deaths. A great number of these fires and deaths may have been prevented with a few easy steps.

Careless smoking, space heaters placed too close to flammables, children playing with matches or lighters, and overloaded electrical outlets or extension cords are frequent causes of home fires. However, the most common cause of home fires are activities related to cooking and these fires also cause the highest number of fire related injuries.

There are a few simple steps that will help prevent a fire from starting when cooking in the home:

Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling. Many cooking fires start from “unattended” cooking.
Wear short sleeves or close fitting rolled up long sleeves to cook.
Keep all flammables away from the surface burners on your stove.
Create a three foot “safety zone” around the cooking area to keep children from getting burned. Turn pan handles in so children won’t accidentally knock pans off the stove.
When baking, set a timer to remind you to remove food from the oven and use oven mitts or pot holders when removing the food.
Make sure microwave ovens and other cooking appliances are plugged directly into an outlet and not an extension cord.

Most importantly, stay alert! You won’t be if you are sleepy, drinking alcohol, or taking medicine that makes you drowsy.

Working smoke alarms are key tools in helping to save lives and preventing injuries if a fire should start in the home. Take time to properly install and maintain smoke alarms on every level of your home.

We have a great deal of information available on our Website related to each of the common causes of residential fire, smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and home escape plans. Please share this information with your loved ones and take time to talk with them to ensure you lower the risk of a home fire.

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