Happy fire prevention week! This year we celebrate 100 years of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) fire prevention week. The NFPA and Sparky have announced the theme of this year as "Fire won't wait, plan your escape." This theme is so important to help your family be prepared for the unthinkable. The focus of this is to create and practice a family escape plan with multiple routes of exit  from all rooms in your house and an outdoor meeting point should a fire occur in your home. 

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This year in addition to the information provided on this years theme, we have also included different activities and messages for different ages. To find these activities and messages head over to the blog tab on this website. Adults, keep scrolling to find information, tips, and statistics on fires. Also, head over to the NFPA website to check out apps, games, and more activities for kids!

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History:

Fire prevention week is observed the week of October 9th every year, it marks the timing of the Great Chicago Fire. This fire started on October 8th, killed over 250 people, left 100,000 people homeless, and destroyed over 17,400 buildings.

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Facts:

The top 5 causes of fires are heating elements, cooking, electrical, smoking, and candles. As we near winter be sure to plug space heaters directly into walls, and not leave candles unattended. 

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Hoarding increases fire risks and negatively impacts the first responders. Fire risks are increased when items are to close to heating cooking elements, electrical wiring can be worn or destroyed by pests, heating units may be to close to objects, and exits are hard to find. It puts first responders at higher risk, there is a greater fire load, and the weight of the objects in a home plus the water can cause collapse. 

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Information and tips:

The following picture is shared by the County of Brant Fire Department. These are side by side bedrooms in the same home. The room on the left had it's door closed when this home caught fire while the room on the right had the door open. While very little building materials will truly stop or prevent a fire from starting, a closed door can give you extra much needed time to evacuate a building. It is recommended to sleep with doors closed at night as they can slow the spread of heat, smoke, and fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoke detectors can help with early detection of fires and give you more time for an evacuation. Be sure to have smoke detectors in all bedrooms, outside of sleeping areas, on every floor of your home, in the basement, and at least 10 feet away from the stove in the kitchen, Smoke detectors should be tested monthly with batteries being replaced twice a year, and the entire smoke detector being replaced every 10 years. 

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All information unless otherwise noted was information from the NFPA.