National Fire Prevention Week Starts Sunday

National Fire Prevention Week starts Oct. 9 and in an effort to kick it off officials from the Annapolis Fire Marshall’s Office will be outside the Market House Saturday to talk about fire safety.

Topics to be discussed include smoke alarms, kitchen safety and holiday safety, and officials will be there from 1-3 p.m. Kids can also enjoy a visit with Sparky the Fire Dog.

The message for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is “Protect Your Family From Fire,” according to a press release from the Annapolis Fire Department (AFD).

"Although Fire Prevention Week is celebrated for just one week every year, the Annapolis Fire Department wants to encourage all citizens to practice it everyday," Chief David Stokes said in the release.

Throughout the month of October, officials from the fire department will be visiting churches, schools and other places to give presentations on fire prevention.

According to the release, unattended cooking fires are a leading cause of fires in Annapolis homes. Officials also warn against placing fireplace ashes on a porch or deck.

"The department insists upon metal containers for ashes and [emphasizes] that ashes stay hot, sometimes days after the fire appears extinguished," officials said in the release.

Residents are also reminded to periodically have their chimneys cleaned.

The Community is encouraged to contact the department if they are interested in scheduling a program, at 410-263-7975, an AFD spokesman said in the release.

National Fire Prevention Week was created to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 which killed more than 250 people and left about 100,000 people without homes, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website. Since 1922, it has been celebrated on the Sunday through Saturday period where Oct. 9 falls, according to the website.

Learn more about National Fire Prevention Week by visiting the NFPA website.