The History of Fire Prevention Week

The history of Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, but lasted 27 hours and incurred the most damage the following day. As a result, October 9, 1871, is the date most often connected with the tragic conflagration. In the end, the Great Chicago Fire killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2000 acres. While the origin of the fire has never been determined, there has been much speculation over how it began. One popular legend was that Mrs. Catherine O'Leary was milking her cow when the animal kicked over a lamp, setting the O'Leary's barn on fire and starting the spectacular blaze. However, this was proven untrue a few years ago by Chicago historian Robert Cromie.

On the Great Chicago Fire's 40th anniversary, the former Fire Marshals Association of North America (now the International Fire Marshals Association, or IFMA) sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, advocating an annual observation as a way to keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday-through-Saturday period in which October 9 falls. In addition, the President of the United States has signed a proclamation pronouncing a national observance during that week every year since 1925.

Dedicated to raising public awareness about the dangers of fire and how to prevent it, NFPA has officially sponsored Fire Prevention Week since the observance was first established. Fire Prevention Week 2001 is October 7-13. This year's theme, "Cover the Bases & Strike Out Fire" teaches people how to inspect their homes for fire hazards, so that they can prevent three of the leading causes of home fires – cooking, heating, and electrical. It also encourages the public to develop and practice a home fire escape plan, which includes testing and maintenance of smoke alarms. "Cover the Bases & Strike Out Fire" cleverly communicates these safety messages through the language of baseball, making Fire Prevention Week 2001 fun and easy for everybody to follow.