Bookmark & Share2009 Fire Prevention Week
October 4-10, 2009
Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned!
Commemorating a The Great Chicago Fire
Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871.
Not the biggest blaze that week
While the Great Chicago Fire was the best-known blaze to start during this fiery two-day stretch, it wasn't the biggest. That distinction goes to the Peshtigo Fire, the most devastating forest fire in American history. The fire, which also occurred on October 8th, 1871, and roared through Northeast Wisconsin, burning down 16 towns, killing 1,152 people, and scorching 1.2 million acres before it ended.
Historical accounts of the fire say that the blaze began when several railroad workers clearing land for tracks unintentionally started a brush fire. Before long, the fast-moving flames were whipping through the area 'like a tornado,' some survivors said. It was the small town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin that suffered the worst damage. Within an hour, the entire town had been destroyed.
As this is written the Station Forest Fire in Southern California still burns, reminding us that "great fires" can still happen. It is up to us to work together to prevent them.
Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned is the official slogan for this year's National Fire Prevention Week and fire departments all across the country are hanging out banners, visiting schools and having public open houses at their fire stations to take this important message to the people. Our hope is that there will never be another devastatingly "great fire", but we can never meet that goal without the help of the members of our communities.
Rochester Fire Station Open House
The Rochester Fire Department will be hosting their 2009 Fire Prevention week open house on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at Fire Station No. 4, 1875 41 St NW, from 1:00 to 5 PM.
Due largely to the current health threat with seasonal flu and the potential spread of the H1N1 flu, Fire administrators are forced to limit the exposure of fire fighters by limiting the open house to one station for one day only. To that end we have planned a larger open house event with fire equipment demonstrations, Sparky's Fire Safety House, fire extinguisher demonstrations and more.
There will be fire safety handouts, fire hats for the kids and refreshments provided by local businesses.