Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the notorious blaze that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres on October 8th and 9th, 1871. Forty years after the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (today known as the International Fire Marshals Association), decided that the anniversary should be used as an occasion to raise awareness about the importance of fire prevention.