Pointlife
Don’t get burned; stay safe with fire prevention week
The Pointer
kshan945@uwsp.edu
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. Fire Prevention Week has been held since 1922 on the Sunday through Saturday period in which Oct. 9 falls, in order to commemorate this infamous fire. This year showcases the theme of burn awareness and prevention to keep homes safe from the leading causes of home fires.
According to myth, this fire broke out by a cow who kicked over a lamp. This set the barn on fire, then spread to the rest of the city. Mrs. Catherine O’Leary was the keeper of the cow, and thereby is blamed for this fire. As you can see, even a cow can start a fire. Don’t underestimate the ease of starting a fire yourself.
Simple precautions can help prevent fires from occurring and harming yourself or others you know. The theme for Fire Prevention Week is, “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned!”
With your knowledge of fire safety, stay vigilant and keep yourself and others safe.
According to the National Fire Prevention Association, cooking is the leading cause of home fires, accounting for 40 percent of reported home fires and 36 percent of related injuries. Watching what you cook while cooking either in an apartment or residence hall, can help stop these percentages from rising.
UWSP Protective Services works towards providing students with a safe environment on campus in residence halls and in all buildings.
“Typically we hold fire drills for all academic buildings and residence halls during fire prevention week. Safety and Loss works equally hard on this topic too,” said Bill Rowe, Protective Services Director and Police Chief.
Fire prevention does not stop at your dorm or home. Be careful of making fires at a campsite, or by a forest of any kind. Like Smoky the Bear says, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Though this may seem silly and redundant through the years of learning, fire safety is an important issue that we must pay attention to. These phrases and sayings are things that stick with someone throughout their lives.
“It’s meant for awarness,” said Rowe. “Fire safety is best learned at an early age; this serves as a good reminder.”
