|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day
proclamation, and since 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been observed
on the Sunday-through-Saturday period in which October 9 falls.
The Great Chicago Fire
The history of Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire,
which began on October 8 but continued into and did most damage on October 9,
1871. In just 27 hours, this tragic conflagration killed more than 250 people,
left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more
than 2,000 acres. While the origin of the fire has never been determined, there
has been much speculation over how it began.The Old Cow's Tale
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. Like any good story, the "case of
the cow" has some truth to it. The fire almost certainly started near the barn
where Mrs. O'Leary kept her five milking cows. There was never any proof that
Mrs. 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.
She didn't do it...
But if a cow wasn't to blame for the huge fire, who was? Plenty of theories
were developed over the years. Some blamed the blaze on a couple of
neighborhood boys who were sneaking cigarettes near the barn. Others believed
that Mrs. O'Leary's neighbor started the fire. Some people have speculated that
a meteorite may have fallen to earth on October 8, starting several fires that
day - in Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in Chicago.
|
 |
Peshtigo Fire
The Peshtigo Fire was the most devastating forest fire in American history. The
fire roared through Northeast Wisconsin, burning down 16 towns, killing 1200
people, and scorching 1.2 million acres before it was done. 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," survivors
said. It was the small town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin that suffered the worst
damage. Within an hour, the entire town had been destroyed, and some 800
residents lost their lives.
Remembering the Fires
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 (now known as the International Fire
Marshal's Association), the oldest membership section of the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA), decided that the 40th anniversary of the Great
Chicago Fire should be observed not with festivities, but in a way that would
keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention.
|
| |
|
|
|