Fire Prevention Week

This week is Fire Prevention Week, an event that is celebrated by all fire departments in the USA. Two very notorious fires near the end of the 19th century led to it's creation, in the hopes that future catastrophes can be prevented. These two fires were the Great Chicago Fire, and the little known Peshtigo fire. These two fires caused tremendous property damage, and in the case of Peshtigo, virtually wiped the town off the face of the Earth with thousands of casualties. They also burned on the same date, at almost exactly the same time. Two simultaneous great fires were too much for the nation to take, and several years later a National Fire Prevention Week was created. It has been celebrated every year since.

Here are highlights from our activities at the High Rolls Elementary marking this occasion. A Fire Safety presentation was conducted and the children were allowed to play a game of "squirt the burning house" utilizing a wooden prop built for the occasion.

Pictured left to right are Firefighters Chris Ryan, Paul McCarty, Krystal Poindexter, and Tommy Hatfield.