What is the history of National Fire Prevention Week?
In 1911 the Fire Marshals Association of North America decided the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should be observed in a manner to inform the public about fire prevention and fire safety and Fire Prevention Day was observed on October 11, 1911. In 1920 President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation. In 1925 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the first Fire Prevention Week , October 4-10, 1925.
The history of National Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred on October 9, 1871. This tragic conflagration killed some 300 people, left 100,000 homeless, and destroyed more than 17,000 structures. The origin of the fire has generated speculation since its occurrence, with fact and fiction becoming blurred over the years. One popular legend has it 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. However the massive fire began, it swiftly took its toll, burning more than 2000 acres in 27 hours. The City of Chicago quickly rebuilt, however, and within a couple of years residents began celebrating their successful restoration by memorializing the anniversary of the fire with festivities. Intending to observe the fire’s anniversary with a more serious commemoration, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA), the oldest membership sect
