Activities planned for Fire Prevention Week Published Oct. 2, 2013 375 Civil Engineering Squadron Fire Protection Flight SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 6-12 and the Scott Air Force Base Fire Department will provide fire safety awareness training throughout the week. The fire department will host a live aircraft firefighting demonstration at the fire department training area on East Drive across from Outdoor Recreation on Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. In addition, the Fire Department Open House is Oct. 12 at Fire Station 2 in Patriot's Landing from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which began Oct. 8, 1871 and continued into Oct. 9 where most of the damage occurred. In just 27 hours, this tragic inferno killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. It is still unclear what caused the Great Chicago Fire. 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, and 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 whipped 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 Fire Marshals Association of North America, now part of the National Fire Protection Association, was responsible for starting Fire Prevention Day. The day was first proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson on the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. In 1925, President Harding was the first to officially proclaim National Fire Prevention Week. Every year since, the president has signed a proclamation observing Fire Prevention Week. After eight decades, the NFPA continues to be the international sponsor of Fire Prevention Week, which covers the entire week, including Oct. 9--the anniversary date of the Chicago blaze. In 1957, NFPA assigned the first theme for Fire Prevention Week "Don't Give Fire a Place to Start" and has provided a theme every year since, this year's theme is "Prevent Kitchen Fires." Fire Prevention Week Activities · Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Exchange: Fire safety information trailer featuring Sparky, Smoky and Sparky's Castle · Oct. 7, Fire Station 2: family child care program visit · Oct. 8, School Age Program: 9-10 a.m. at Child Development Center, Bldg. 1805, and 3-4:30 p.m. at the Youth Center, Bldg. 4780. · Oct. 9, 10-11:45 a.m., activity at the library · Oct. 9, 6:30-8 p.m., live aircraft firefighting demonstration at the fire department training area · Oct. 10, 9-10 a.m., Scott Elementary fire safety briefings · Oct. 12, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., activity at the Child Development Center, Bldg. 1807 · Oct. 12, 3-5 p.m., fire safety information trailer at the Exchange · Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., open house at Fire Station 2