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October is here, and that means it is Fire Prevention Month. Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week, 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. 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, causing devastating damage.
Throughout this month Miramar Fire-Rescue wants children, adults, and teachers to learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!”, is all about inspiring and empowering children and adults to mitigate hazards in the kitchen by learning how to spot dangers, reduce risks, and respond in the event of an emergency.
Did you know that each year cooking and especially unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires and fire injuries and 80% – 90% of households have some type of cooking appliance? There is an average of 173,200 incidents reported in the US annually.
This year’s pandemic has a lot of families cooking at home and staying home for most of their activities, so not only understanding when and where fires happen but understanding how to prevent them is key.
There are some easy to but essential tips for preventing a fire or related injury in the kitchen:
• Never leave your cooking food unattended.
• Set a timer to remind yourself that you have food cooking if it is in the oven.
• Keep a lid nearby in case something that is greasy where to catch on fire.
• Keep your cooking area clear of clutter.
• Keep the kids a safe distance away to avoid burns, scalds or spills.
In a typical home fire, you could have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds, so beyond knowing how to prevent a fire having a good escape plan and practicing can help you and your family make the most of the time you have.
Here are some essential tips to help you create a home escape plan:
• Draw a layout of your home and choose two exits from each room (I.E: door and window). Draw a path from each exit to the outside of your home.
• Make sure someone will help children, older adults and people with disabilities get out to safety.
• Teach children in the household how to escape on their own in case an adult cannot help them.
• Choose a meeting place away from your home where everyone can meet upon exiting.
• Once safely outside call 911, make sure everyone knows how to call 911.
Not only is it important to make a fire escape plan, but also to practice it.
As always, stay safe and practice your everyday preventative measures when you head out and about.
