Fire safety is always an important topic, especially at this time of year as we begin preparing our homes for the cold winter months to come.
In October of 1871 there was a huge fire that did a lot of damage in Chicago. According to NFPA.org, the event killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. Of course, you can imagine that there were way more wooden structures, more primitive fire codes and quite a lack of fire-fighting technology in those days as compared to now.
You may remember that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow took the heat for this event, at least in pop culture. One cow plus one kicked-over lantern and a lot of hay can get out of hand pretty quickly. Actually there are several presumed causes of this catastrophe, and the reporter who made up the “fake news” story on the cow admitted it in 1893. Glad we don’t have to worry about that kind of thing today over a hundred years later.
But the fire was not “fake news,” and, since 1922, the week of October 9 has been recognized as “National Fire Prevention Week.” You can find all of this information and a lot more useful stuff on NFPA.org.
This month, as usual, for this column we will be looking at fire safety, fire safety equipment and fire safety education tips.
So, if you see a fireman or fire truck going down the road, give a handshake or a wave. They deserve our gratitude for their dedication to our safety and their willingness to face real danger for our benefit.
Remember, help is just around the corner at your local hardware store.
