Fire Prevention Week and What to Know About Garage Fires

“Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware – fire can happen anywhere,” is this year’s Fire Prevention Week message, by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), that works to remind the public that fires can and do still happen…anywhere.
LOOK for places where a fire could start by first taking a look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and fix any issues that could create a potential fire.
LISTEN for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Go to your outside meeting place, a location that is a safe distance from the home and where everyone should know to meet.


LEARN two ways out of every room and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.  A fire can happen anywhere, yet home safety is the focus of the NFPA, as four out of five fire deaths in the U.S. occur in the home each year. According to the NFPA, the fire death rate (per 1000 home fires reported to the fire department) was 10 percent higher in 2016 than in 1980. A kitchen fire from a cooking session gone wrong is the most common cause of a house fire. However, have you considered your garage as a breeding ground for potential fire hazards? Garage fires can spread farther and cause more injuries and dollar loss than fires that start in other areas of your home. Did you know? 6,600 houses burn in a fire and an average of 400 injuries and $457M in property damages, annually.  One of the top five causes to a house fire is heating and issues with heating equipment.    In Texas, it's common to find gas water heaters located in the garage. Gas water heaters can leak and What other flammable hazards can be found in a garage? Gasoline: for cars, motorbikes, lawnmowers, etc. Gasoline is  often canned and left in the garage.   Fire Prevention Week is from October 7 and ends on October 13 this year.
History In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires. Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land. To promote fire prevention and more specifically, awareness of garage fires, the Gene Arant Team, Keller Williams and Ben Archer, State Farm are dedicated to promoting awareness to our community through a Garage Fire Prevention Event. Keep an eye out for our blog on the event coming soon.