Press Release:
Every year the City of Batavia Fire Department spreads the word in town, and throughout our schools and community about fire prevention.
Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of Oct. 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on Oct. 8, 1871. This horrific fire killed more than 250 people and destroyed more than 17,400 structures leaving more than 100,000 people homeless.
This year the City of Batavia Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — The official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Cooking Safety Starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention” as the theme for Fire Prevention Week™, Oct. 8-14.
This year’s focus on cooking safety works to educate the public about simple but important steps they can take to help reduce the risk of fire when cooking at home, keeping themselves and those around them safe.
Did you know that cooking fires are the leading cause of home fire and home fire injuries?According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of a home fire, with nearly half (49 percent) of all home fires involving cooking equipment, cooking is also the leading cause of home fire injuries. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires and related deaths.
These numbers tell us that more public awareness is needed around when and where cooking hazards exist, along with ways to prevent them. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign “Cooking Safety Starts with You! Pay attention to fire prevention”, the City of Batavia Fire Department will work to promote tips, guidelines, and recommendations that can help significantly reduce the risk of having a cooking fire.
The City of Batavia Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme.
“Cooking Safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention”.
The City of Batavia Fire Department wants to share the following cooking safety messages that support this year’s theme.
- Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. For foods with longer cooking times, such as those simmering or baking, set a timer to help monitor them carefully.
- Clear the cooking area of combustible items and keep anything that can burn, such as dish towels, oven mitts, food packaging, and paper towels away from the cooking area.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
- Create a “kid and pet-free zone” of at least three feet around the cooking area and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
As the biggest annual campaign at NFPA, Fire Prevention Week works to educate people about the leading risks to home fires and ways they can better protect themselves and their loved ones. Local fire departments play a key role in bringing Fire Prevention Week to life in their communities each year and spreading basic but critical fire safety messages.
To learn more about Fire Prevention Week, its 100th anniversary, and this year’s theme, “Cooking Safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention.” visit www.nfpa.org/fpw.
The City of Batavia Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week; including stops at Batavia schools, housing units, and the library.
