Since 1922, the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.
Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
Each year, Fire Prevention Week is built around a specific theme that highlights different aspects of fire safety. These themes are carefully chosen to focus on critical areas of fire prevention and preparedness.
This year’s Fire Prevention Week™ campaign is focused on “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention™,” and works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe when cooking.
Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips, you can prevent these fires. NFPA offers free safety tip sheets in multiple languages on a variety of fire and life safety topics. Download, print, and share these tip sheets to spread the word about cooking safety.