NewsletterOctober2011

Many of us have been touched by the devastation of

fire, either personally or through a story from a family

member or friend. In our state, Tennessee

consistently ranks among the top ten states for

deaths. The most recent statistics per the United

States Fire Association ranks Tennessee #7 for fire

deaths per capita per million population.

I encourage you to read and share this month's

newsletter with your family and friends and also review your own fire safety plan! All the best - Kenneth

“It’s Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!”

This year, our campaign is all about keeping you, your family, and your community safer from fire. You'll find educational material and tip sheets on the leading causes of home fires, information about protecting your home and families with life-saving technologies, and the importance of home escape planning.

ABOUT FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

Commemorating a conflagration Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871.

According to popular legend, the fire broke out after a cow - belonging to Mrs. Catherine O'Leary - kicked over a lamp, setting first the barn, then the whole city on fire. Chances are you've heard some version of this story yourself; people have been blaming the Great Chicago Fire on the cow and Mrs. 'Leary, for more than 130 years. But recent research by Chicago historian Robert Cromie has helped to debunk this version of events.

The 'Moo' myth Like any good story, the 'case of the cow' has some truth to it. The great fire almost certainly started near the barn where Mrs. O'Leary kept her five milking cows. But there is no proof that O'Leary was in the barn when the fire broke out - or that a jumpy cow sparked the blaze. Mrs. O'Leary herself swore that she'd been in bed early that night, and that the cows were also tucked in for the evening.

But if a cow wasn't to blame for the huge fire, what was? Over the years, journalists and historians have offered plenty of theories. Some blamed the blaze on a couple of neighborhood boys who were near the barn sneaking cigarettes. Others believed that a neighbor of the O'Leary's may have started the fire. Some people have speculated that a fiery meteorite may have fallen to earth on October 8, starting several fires that day - in Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in Chicago.

The biggest blaze that week While the Great Chicago Fire as the best-known blaze to start during this fiery two-day stretch, it wasn't the biggest. That distinction goes to the Peshtigo Fire, the most devastating forest fire in American history. The fire, which also occurred on October 8th, 1871, and roared through Northeast Wisconsin, burning down 16 towns, killing 1,152 people, and scorching 1.2 million acres before it ended.

Historical accounts of the fire say that the blaze began when several railroad workers clearing land for tracks unintentionally started a brush fire. Before long, the fast-moving flames were whipping through the area 'like a tornado,' some survivors said. It was the small town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin that suffered the worst damage. Within an hour, the entire town had been destroyed.

Eight decades of fire prevention Those who survived the Chicago and Peshtigo fires never forgot what they'd been through; both blazes produced countless tales of bravery and heroism. But the fires also changed the way that firefighters and public officials thought about fire safety. On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (today known as the International Fire Marshals Association), decided that the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should henceforth be observed not with festivities, but in a way that would keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. The commemoration grew incrementally official over the years.

In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls. According to the National Archives and Records Administration's Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. The President of the United States has signed a proclamation proclaiming a national observance during that week every year since 1925.

ADDITIONAL LINK Fast Facts About Fire

Newsletter Sources: NFPA, USFA, Lee Company, Spokane Fire Department, Tennessee Security Electronic Association, Larry Brooks, Kenneth Bargers

October is National Fire Safety Awareness and Prevention Month

Lee Company as a member of the TNESA

(Tennessee Electronic Security Association)

would like to make available the findings of a

recent NFPA ( National Fire Protection Association) report. The report shows that cooking and smoking materials remain the biggest dangers when it comes to home fires. Please find the following “Top 10” list of fire safety tips.

In light of a new NFPA report that shows that cooking equipment and smoking materials remain the biggest dangers when it comes to home fires, we're issuing our "Top 10" list of fire safety tips.

1 Watch your cooking: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.

2 Give space heaters space: Keep fixed and portable space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn. Turn off heaters when you leave the room or go to sleep.

3 Smoke outside: Ask smokers to smoke outside. Have sturdy, deep ashtrays for smokers.

4 Keep matches and lighters out of reach: Keep matches and lighters up high, out of the reach of children, preferably in a cabinet with a child lock.

5 Inspect electrical cords: Replace cords that are cracked, damaged, have broken plugs, or have loose connections.

6 Be careful when using candles: Keep candles at least one foot from anything that can burn. Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to sleep.

7 Have a home fire escape plan: Make a home fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year.

8 Install smoke alarms: Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Interconnect smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.

9 Test smoke alarms: Test smoke alarms at least once a month and replace conventional batteries once a year or when the alarm “chirps” to tell you the battery is low. Replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old.

10 Install sprinklers: If you are building or remodeling your home, install residential fire sprinklers. Sprinklers can contain and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive.

C H A L L E N G E | S T R A T E G Y | S O L U T I O N | S U C C E S S

IN THE NEWS

October 2011

Kenneth Bargers, REALTOR®

a proud member of Pilkerton Realtors

(615) 512-9836, cellular

(615) 371-2474, office

kb@bargers-solutions.com