FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE

The history of Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred on October 9, 1871. This tragic conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2000 acres in 27 hours. The origin of the fire has generated speculation since its occurrence, with fact and fiction becoming blurred over the years. One popular legend is that Mrs. Catherine O'Leary was milking her cow when the animal kicked over a lamp, setting the O'Leary's barn on fire and starting the spectacular blaze.

On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, the day was used as a method of informing the public about the importance of fire prevention. In 1920 President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Week proclamation. Since 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which the date of the Great Chicago Fire occurred, October 9. The President of the United States of America has signed a proclamation pronouncing the national observance of Fire Prevention Week every year since 1925.