For any family, a fire can well be a nightmare scenario. In a matter of minutes, a lifetime worth of memories and treasured possessions — or much worse, loved ones — can be wiped out.
Tragically, most home fires could have been prevented, and every year in October, the National Fire Protection Association and fire departments aim to remind of that simple fact during Fire Prevention Week.
The week is scheduled every year to coincide with the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which famously killed more than 250 people and destroyed much of the city on Oct. 8 and 9 of that year.
The NFPA points out that this well-known American blaze wasn’t the biggest or most deadly on record, though. The distinction belongs to the Peshtigo Fire, a forest fire that immolated 16 towns in Wisconsin and had a death toll 1,152 people. Remarkably, this fire also broke out on Oct. 8, 1871.
The tradition started in the ‘20s, and while Fire Prevention Weeks has morphed through many forms the message has always remained constant: fires are a preventable tragedy.
“The big takeaway is that people can make their families safer from fire by taking some very simple steps,” said Lorraine Carli, a spokeswoman for the NFPA.
A recent report conducted by the NFPA showed while there were fewer fires in 2010 when compared to the previous year, more people died as a result of them.
Fire departments responded to 1,331,500 fires in 2010, the lowest number since 1977, but there were 3,120 civilian fire deaths and 17,720 civilian injuries. Both figures are a 4 percent jump from the previous year’s statistics.
The American Red Cross, which also promotes Fire Prevention Month every October, reported that of the 74,000 disasters nationwide it responded to last year, 93 percent were fire related.
The best way to protect against fire is one everyone should already know: place smoke detectors in the home and check them regularly.
But what about when the detector sounds? Families are advised to have an escape plan ready and practiced, including setting an outside meeting place a safe distance from the house.
Fire Week also comes at a time of year when the number of home fires spikes as heating equipment kicks on for the winter.
“We see the majority of fire occurring in December, January and February. That tends to be associated with a number of heating fires,” Carli said.
Overall, heating equipment is the second leading source of home fires and home fire deaths. How you protect yourself against a winter fire depends on how you heat your home.
Perhaps the most deadly form of heating equipment fire is one from a space heater. These are common, Carli said, because the heat source is near potentially flammable materials and also close to the user, so when something catches fire it can be a danger quickly.
For fireplace users, homeowners should check their chimneys for creosote, a flammable substance that builds up over time. It can eventually go up in flames, starting a fire in the chimney that would then spread.
Additionally, many residential heating systems carry the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Homeowners should install CO alarms in addition to their smoke detectors to monitor for the deadly gas, which is invisible and odorless.
Locally, most fire departments will do something special for Fire Prevention Week. The Delmar Fire Department will be tying a special open house commemorating the organization’s 100th anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 9, from 1-4 p.m.
There will be a series of fire safety demonstrations, including a live fire demonstration. The department’s newest fire engine, Engine 21, will also be unveiled.
For more information on Fire Prevention Week and safety tips, visit nfpa.org.
