You may know that National Fire Prevention Week was established in 1920 to remember the Great Chicago Fire, but you may not know that the Great Chicago Fire wasn't the only fire happening on October 8, 1871. In Wisconsin, on the very same day, the Peshtigo Fire burned 1.2 million acres becoming the largest and most deadly fire in American history.
Fortunately, fire prevention and firefighting strategies have improved since 1871. But we still have to be careful! Both the Great Chicago Fire and the Peshtigo Fire were started by accident. Fire Prevention Week reminds us all be fire safe and to test our smoke alarms. Take the National Fire Protection Association's smoke alarm pledge to test your smoke alarms every month.
Learning about fire prevention as a family can be fun with these great resources!
Fireboy is a fire prevention expert! In Fireboy to the Rescue, he makes sure all children are as knowledgeable and excited as he is about fire prevention strategies, from monthly fire alarm checks to stop, drop and roll.
If there is a fire, firefighters might look scary to small children. Let's Meet A Firefighter introduces children to firefighters and their gear with vivid, cartoon illustrations. For a photographic look at a firehouse, take a tour of Fire Station Number 4. You'll also find a table of fire safety rules.
Fire prevention should be practiced when you're outside, too! Devouring Flames takes us into a forest fire to see how it started and how it could have been prevented.
Visit Sparky the Fire Dog's Fire Safety for Kids where you can watch music videos and print fun activity sheets that help everyone (adults included!) remember where smoke alarms should go in your house and how often they need to be tested.
Don't forget to test your smoke alarm today!
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