Fire Prevention Week events and history Published Sept. 26, 2007 By Lt. Col. Joseph Marcinkevich Misawa Air Base Fire Marshal MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- National Fire Prevention Week 2007 observance will be Oct. 7 to 13. "Practice Your Escape Plan!" is this year's theme. It's not enough to have a home fire escape plan. To escape safely, you've got to make sure that everyone in the home has practiced the plan. Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as two minutes to escape safely once the alarm sounds. Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms, and advance planning -- a home fire escape plan that everyone in your family is familiar with and has practiced. The base fire department (226-4055) has a wealth of information and expertise to help you develop a home fire escape plan for your family. Misawa Air Base events The base fire department will host a variety of events across the base, including its first annual fire muster competition, which will start on Oct. 7 at 9 a.m. in the commissary parking lot. The fire muster will feature a series of events designed to test the skills of base and Japanese firefighters in events ranging from hitting the Kiesser sled, hose hosting and dragging the 150-pound rescue dummy. It will be a great opportunity for non-firefighters to experience these life-saving techniques. The fire prevention week parade is going to be on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. starting at Risner circle going through the main base housing area and the north housing area and finally ending at the main base fire station for the open house. The open house will feature static displays from USAF, JASDF and Local Japanese fire trucks from Misawa, Towada and Hachinohe. The highlight for the week will undoubtedly be the live fire demonstration at the fire training area on the east side of the base on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. You will see our firefighters demonstrate how they attack and extinguish an aircraft fuel fire. For more information on fire prevention or on the week's activities, please call Misawa Fire and Emergency Services at 226-4055. 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 Oct. 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on Oct. 9, 1871. The biggest blaze that week While the Great Chicago Fire was 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 Oct. 8, 1871, 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. The great Misawa City fire of 1966 You may not know that Misawa City suffered a devastating fire on Jan. 11, 1966. The fire broke out at 4:14 p.m. and was extinguished four hours later. Due to high winds, the fire spread rapidly and more than 450 buildings were burned down. Fortunately, no one was killed and only two were seriously injured. It was reported that the response from the Misawa Air Base and JASDF Fire Departments were critical in the extinguishment of the fire. 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 Oct. 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. 2006 Fire Prevention Week reminder The 2006 theme was "Prevent Cooking Fires: Watch What You Heat." Unfortunately, unattended cooking continued to be Misawa's number one fire mishap over the past year. We experienced 21 fires, 16 caused by human error. Unattended cooking fires accounted for 66 percent of home fires. Most of these fires are easily avoidable and preventable. To help avoid cooking fires, you should not leave cooking food unattended; cook at indicated temperatures settings rather than higher settings; and regularly clean your cooking equipment so that there are no cooking materials, food items or grease accumulation. If a fire does occur, have a pot lid handy to smother a pan fire. Do not attempt to pick up the pot or pan. Shut off the heat and cover the fire with a lid. Please do your part to prevent fires in your home and at your duty location. For more information, please check out the National Fire Protection Organization Website (www.nfpa.org) and click on the "Fire Prevention Week" logo. Our Fire and Emergency Services Flight also has information in Air Force Portal under the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron. I hope to see you at next week's events.