Fire prevention week: Kitchen fires

Lloyd Lybbert photos

Lloyd Lybbert, Pincher Creek Voice

On Friday evening October 11 Pincher Creek Emergency Services held an open house to raise awareness about Fire Prevention Week. This year's theme is kitchen fire prevention.

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Fire prevention week commemorates the Chicago fire of 1871. This gargantuan fire burned a large section of Chicago, burning grain silos, ripping through the streets and destroying homes. 300 people perished, 100,000 were left homeless and $200 million in property damage was caused over the course of two days.

The purpose of fire prevention week is to educate the public about fire prevention so this kind of tragedy doesn't happen again.
The open house started off with an educational video about how we can keep ourselves safe when there is a fire in the house and how to get out of a fire situation. Some of the things that the video taught was how to make a fire plan and “when there is a fire in your house get out”.

“Get low and go.”

Following the video, the fire fighters gave children a chance to see what it was like to be a Firefighter, what wearing their turnout gear is like, and a chance to ride in a fire truck.

While the kids were out being firemen, parents got to see what it was like in the emergency vehicles and what kind of gear was in them.

Don't be a dummy about kitchen fires

Pincher Creek Emergency Services Chief Dave Cox mentioned that celebrating Fire Prevention Week is a tradition that Pincher Creek honors every year. “I think that it is very important to raise awareness about the safety in your house and all around”.

“There are three important things to fire prevention in a kitchen,” Cox said:

1. Always have an extinguisher nearby
2. Have handy a cloth, a pot lid and a flipper to extinguish the fire
3. Never pour water on it, it can just make the fire spread, specially if it is a grease fire

EMT Lynn Brasnett shows off a Pincher Creek fire truck

For more information about Fire Prevention Week visit www.firesmartcanada.ca and/or www.nfpa.org/safety-information/fire-prevention-week.