Fire Prevention Week is October 8 to 14, 2023
In partnership with the National Fire Protection Association ® (NFPA®), the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week, the Wilmot Fire Department is pleased to celebrate Fire Prevention Week! This year's FPW campaign, "Cooking safety starts with you!" works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires - especially in the kitchen.
Fire Prevention Week Open House
We invite you to join us at the New Hamburg Community Centre, 251 Jacob Street, on Saturday, October 14 for our Open House event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. as we provide visitors with the necessary tools and knowledge to stay safe from fire!
Come enjoy...
- Live interactive demonstrations
- Mini fire fit challenge
Truck displays - Popcorn, movie & colouring station
- Wilmot Heritage Brigade display
Emergency Preparedness Education
Cooking with caution
Important tips
Today's homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as 60 seconds to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.
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Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.
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Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
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If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
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Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
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If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire...
• On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
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If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire…
• Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
• Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from outside the home.
For more fire prevention tips, activities, videos and more, please visit nfpa.org/fpw.
Fun for kids
Visit the Sparky the Fire Dog website for fun videos, games and activities for children.
Fire Prevention Week's history
The history of Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred on October 9, 1871, and killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres in 27 hours.
While the origin of the fire has never been determined, there has been much speculation over how it began. One popular legend, which was recently refuted by a Chicago historian, is that Mrs. Catherine O'Leary was milking her cow when the animal kicked over a lamp, setting the O'Leary barn on fire and starting the spectacular blaze.
On the Great Chicago Fire's 40th anniversary, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA) sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, advocating an annual observation as a way to keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention.
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