Firefighter Storytime
One-year-old Jack White likes playing with the nose of Yuma Fire Department mascot Sparky the Fire Dog during Monday morning’s Firefighter Storytime at the Yuma County Library District, Main Library, 2951 S. 21st Dr. The morning started with YFD firefighter and paramedic Aaron Wonders giving a bilingual presentation, talking with children of all ages about fire prevention and fire safety. Wonders then read two books to the children gathered for the event, before Sparky arrived. Sparky’s arrival was followed by the arrival of a YFD fire truck from Station No. 6, which the children also got to check out. The event brings attention to the start of Fire Prevention Week
City and county residents have the opportunity to learn how they can protect themselves and their loved ones, with the Yuma Fire Department officially kicking off National Fire Prevention Week on Monday. The observance runs through Oct. 13.
This year’s theme is “Look, Listen, Be Aware. Fire can happen anywhere.” It identifies three basic but essential ways people can reduce their risk to the likelihood of a fire — and how to escape safely in the event of one:
• “LOOK” for places fire could start. Take a good look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and take care of them.
• “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, which should be a safe distance from the home and where everyone should meet.
• “LEARN” two ways out of every room and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.
YFD also recommends practicing fire drills at home and checking smoke alarms once a month.
To further mark the campaign, officials with YFD will highlight a different aspect of fire prevention. The first of the week’s events took place Monday morning at the Main Library, with firefighter Aaron Wonders reading fire safetythemed stories to children (See photos on Page A1).
The first national recognition of a Fire Prevention Day came in 1911 on the 40th anniversary of “The Great Chicago Fire.” That fire occurred October 9, 1871. At least 250 people died, 100,000 were left homeless, and more than 17,000 structures and 2000 acres burned in only 27 hours.
Popular legend has it that the fire was started by a lantern kicked over by “Mrs. O’Leary’s cow.”
Less known to history is “The Great Peshtigo Fire” (the most devastating forest fire in American history) raging that same week in neighboring Wisconsin.
That fire would burn 2,400 square miles (1.2 million acres), killing more than 1,100 people, completely destroying the town of Peshtigo, Wis., and 15 other towns.
That week in October would long be remembered for its tragic losses in life and property. In 1925 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the first National Fire Prevention Week.
Each year from 2011 thru 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 358,500 home structure fires. On average these fires resulted in 2,510 civilian fire fatalities, 12,300 civilian injuries and $6.7 billion in damage annually. On average, 7 people per day die in U.S. home fires.