Most people know that Fire Prevention Week is observed every October, but many of those folks do not know it was started to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire that began Oct. 8, 1871, but did most of its damage the next day.

That fire left more than 100,000 people homeless, destroyed more than 17,000 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres.

This year, Fire Prevention Week will be observed Oct. 5-11. Fire Prevention Week is all about saving lives, saving property and educating people about the dangers of fire and how to prevent fires.

Facts about house fires are sobering. The National Fire Protection Association provides the following information.

• In 2011, U.S. fire departments responded to 370,000 home structure fires. These fires caused 13,910 civilian injuries, 2,520 civilian deaths and $6.9 billion in direct damage.

• On average, seven people died in U.S. home fires per day from 2007 to 2011.

• Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, followed by heating equipment.

• Smoking is a leading cause of civilian home fire deaths.

• Most fatal fires kill one or two people. In 2012, 8 home fires killed five or more people resulting in a total of 44 deaths.

The NFPA also strongly recommends families develop an escape plan for their homes and practice those plans regularly.

The Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS Department believes in such escape plans. It wants every home in the area to have an EDITH — escape drill in the home.

In recent years, Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS has sponsored contests in which students develop EDITHs for their families.
The plans must be functional and show locations of smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. The drawings also must depict an outside meeting place for family members to gather in case of a fire.
Students who submit the best plans receive rewards, but the contest is never about the rewards. It’s all about saving lives as it should be.
When it comes to saving lives, is there anything more important?