Havre Daily News - News you can use

Press release

The Havre Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week - FPW - for more than 100 years, to promote this year's FPW campaign, "Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention."

The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

"Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half ­- 49 percent - of all U.S. home fires," said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. "These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking."

The Havre Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme, "Cooking safety starts with YOU." A cooking fire can grow quickly. We have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.

The Havre Fire Department offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire.

• Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.

• Have a "kid- and pet-free zone" of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

The Havre Fire Department will be hosting an open house in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week. Tours of the Fire Station will be done Monday, Oct. 9, through Friday, Oct 13, from 3-7 p.m. For large groups, people are asked to call ahead at 406-265-6511 to schedule a time. Daily drawings will be held for free smoke detectors. Items for the kids also will be available that include fire hats, coloring books, bracelets and stickers. Cookies and coffee also will be available.

The Havre Fire Department is also presenting a fire safety puppet show to the area elementary schools Oct. 16 and 18.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Havre, people can contact the Havre Fire Department at 406-265-6511. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, people cab visit https://www.nfpa.org/fpw and https://sparky.org .