Fire Prevention Week Open Houses Planned

Snowflake Fire Chief Pat Hancock said his department’s open house will include the safety trailer, propane prop, bounce house, cookies and they raffle prizes.

Taylor Fire Chief Clint Burden noted that the TFD open house will feature a variety of events, including a smoke simulator, extrication and car fire demonstrations, nozzle spray, live extinguisher trainer, turnout competition, hotdogs, kettle corn and a smoke detector raffle. Sparky will be on hand to meet the kids.

Fire Prevention Week resulted from the Great Chicago Fire that started on Oct. 8, 1871, killing more than 250 people, leaving 100,000 homeless, destroying over 17,400 structures and burning more than 2,000 acres.

The legend is that the fire started when a cow belonging to Mrs. Catherine O’Leary kicked over a lamp, setting the barn on fire and burning through the city for two days, though there is no proof that O’Leary was in the barn when the fire broke out or that a cow started the blaze. O’Leary swore that she had been in bed and the cows were settled for the evening, but the fire did start near the barn.

There has been much speculation over the years about the fire, and there have been many theories about how it started. One of those theories is that boys smoking started the fire and another claims that O’Leary’s neighbor started the fire. There has even been speculation that a meteorite fell to earth and started several fires that day in not only Chicago, but in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Although the Chicago fire was big, the biggest fire on record in the United States is the Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin, which also started on Oct. 8, 1871, and burned through 16 towns. It burned 1.2 million acres and killed 1,152 people. History notes that fire was started by railroad workers who were clearing the way for track and began as a small brush fire.

These two fires are a reminder of the firefighting heroes, and they changed how the country thinks about public safety.

Officials of the International Fire Marshals Association, previously known as the Fire Marshals Association of North American, felt that they should observe the 40th anniversary of the fires, using that day to inform the public about fire prevention.

In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed during the week of Oct. 9.

The Taylor and Snowflake fire departments have been observing Fire Prevention Week for several years, each year using the national theme to teach residents about fire prevention.

During the week of Oct. 5-11, Taylor Fire Department members visit each grade at Taylor Elementary School and Taylor Intermediate School, and Snowflake Fire Department visit each grade at Highland Primary School and Snowflake Intermediate School, teaching students about fire prevention and giving a video presentation.

Sparky will be on hand to visit with students and he will be at the open house. Sparky was created by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 1951, and has been the organization’s official mascot and spokesdog ever since.

This year’s theme is Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month.

Statistics show that roughly two out of three fire deaths happen in homes that have no smoke alarms or in which the smoke alarms are not working.

Each family should have a home fire escape plan and smoke alarms are a key part of that plan, because in a fire the smoke spreads fast. A working smoke alarm gives an early warning so people can get out quickly.

Smoke alarms should be installed inside and outside each bedroom or sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement, but should be at least 10 feet from the stove.

It is best to have interconnected smoke alarms so when one sounds they all sound.

It is important to test smoke alarms each month.

Visit the fire station and let the firefighters know how much they are appreciated and while you’re there, enjoy the activities that have been planned.