Fire Prevention Week

The History of Fire Prevention Week

The Fire the Sparked A Tradition - Chicago, 1871

On a balmy evening in October 1871, Daniel "Pegleg" Sullivan was sitting outside his house enjoying the unusually warm weather. His contentment was suddenly shattered by the sight of flames inside the barn of his friends, Patrick and Catherine O'Leary who lived across the street. Daniel rushed to the barn to help but the fire was already too far advanced and not much could be saved.

The fire, aided by a strong, restless wind, spread at lighting sped through the predominantly wooden structures of greater Chicago. By the following day, October 9 when the fire was finally brought under control by the use of explosives, much of Chicago had been devastated. At least 300 people had perished and some 18,000 buildings were destroyed. Almost 100,00 were left homeless, a third of Chicago's population.

The cause of the fire became the focus of much speculation. The popular theory revolved around Mrs. O'Leary's cow, which was thought to have kicked over a lamp and set the barn on fire. Ironically, the O'Leary house suffered only minor damage.

In 1911, the Fire Marshals Association of North America officially declared the date of the fire, October 9th, as Fire Prevention Day. Ontario became the first jurisdiction to observe Fire Prevention Week during the Sunday through Saturday in which October 9th falls. This practice continues to this day in communities throughout North America as a constant reminder that prevention is the ultimate cure.

Open Houses

Each station hosts open houses during Fire Prevention Week. Visitors are welcome to meet and ask questions of the firefighters, check out the equipment and learn about keeping your family and neighborhood safe. There are games, food, information handouts and demonstrations.

Come out and enjoy the evening. It's fun for kids and kids at heart. Check the Community Page of our local newspaper for dates and times.