Fire Prevention Week, October 4-10, 2020, is sponsored by the National Fire Prevention Association.
The theme for Fire Prevention Week 2020 is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen." The leading cause of fire in the home is unattended cooking and cooking equipment. Nearly half of all home fires are related to unattended cooking or cooking equipment. The good news is the majority of them are preventable. The goal this year is to educate the public about potential cooking hazards and the ways they can prevent a cooking fire.
• Keep a close eye on what you’re cooking; never leave cooking unattended
• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels
or curtains — at least three feet away from your stovetop.
• If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame, turn off the burner, and leave the lid on the pan until it is completely cooled.
• Keep small children away from the cooking appliances to avoid being burned by hot objects or hot liquids.
• Be on alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or
stovetop.
•When in doubt, call the fire department.
Additional Safety Points:
A smoke detector is recommended on every level of the home and in every sleeping area.
Photoelectric smoke detectors are recommended with a 10 year lithium battery. The battery never has to be replaced.
When the battery dies, you replace the entire smoke detector. Smoke detectors should be replace every 10 years anyway.
Have a family escape plan and practice it at least once a year. Make accommodations for children, older adults, or people with disabilities.Have a family outdoor meeting spot.
For more information about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme,“Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen,” along with a wealth of resources to help promote the campaign locally, visit
fpw.org.
For more information you can go the City of Strongsville Website, Fire and Emergency Services for more information. You can also the Fire Prevention Office 440-580-3225 with any questions.
​Fire Prevention Week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 where approximately 300 people were killed by the fire, it destroyed 3.3 square miles of the city, and left more than 100,000 people homeless. The first Fire Prevention Week was proclaimed by President Calvin Coolidge in 1925. The intent of Fire Prevention Week was to bring awareness to the dangers of fire, help prepare people in the event of a fire, and educate and train people in order to prevent fires. The best fire is the one that never happens.