Fire Prevention Week - Oct. 7-13

Last updated on Tuesday, October 9, 2018

(UNDATED) - The latest statistics from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) show that if you have a reported fire in your home, you are more likely to die today than you were a few decades ago.

This startling statistic is behind this year's Fire Prevention Week theme: "Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware - fire can happen anywhere.™" Fire Prevention Week takes place October 7-13, 2018.

Through three simple calls-to-action, this year's theme identifies basic but essential ways people can reduce their risk to fire and be prepared in the event of one:

Look for places fire can start
Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm
Learn two ways out of each room

"People take safety for granted and are not aware of the risk of fire," said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. "Paying attention to your surroundings, looking for available exits in the event of a fire or other emergency, and taking the smoke alarm seriously if it sounds can make a potentially life-saving difference in a fire or other emergency situation."

Tragically, Indiana is on track for an increase in the number of fire-related deaths over the calendar year. The state has already recorded 67 fire-related deaths to date. In 2017, 70 fire-related deaths occurred.

"In most situations, it doesn't take long to make safety changes in the home, but those quick fixes can have a lasting impact," said Indiana State Fire Marshal Jim Greeson.

Marshal Greeson suggests looking for the following hazards in a home:

Replace electric cords that are worn, frayed or covered with clothing, blankets or furniture.
Clean dryer lint traps out after every use.
Flammable items should not be closer than three feet from fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators or portable heaters.
When looking for potential fire hazards check on the household's smoke alarms, which provides an early warning sign of a fire.

"Smoke alarms are a vital component for fire safety," Greeson said. "Households with properly placed, working and maintained smoke alarms are 50 percent more likely to escape a fire safely."

This year's Fire Prevention Week messages apply to virtually all locations. However, NFPA continues to focus on home fire safety, as the majority of U.S. fire deaths (four out of five) occur at home each year. In fact, the fire death rate (per 1000 home fires reported to the fire department) was 10 percent higher in 2016 than in 1980.

"While we've made significant progress in preventing home fires from happening, these statistics show that there's still much more work to do when it comes to teaching people how to protect themselves in the event of one, and why advance planning is so critically important," said Carli.

"Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware - fire can happen anywhere." works to remind the public that fires can and do still happen - at home, as well as other locations - and that there are basic but vitally important steps people can take to remain safe.

As the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, NFPA works with local fire departments throughout North America to promote the campaign in their communities and reaches out to the public directly to encourage everyone to take action to be safe.

For a wealth of information and resources about this year's "Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware - fire can happen anywhere." campaign, visit www.firepreventionweek.org.

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