Snohomish County Fire District 7 is proud to be an active participant in the annual Fire Prevention Week festivities. We hope to raise awareness of key fire safety issues; and the activities and events are both to entertain and educate the public.

The 2012 Open House will be the 27th annual Open House here at Fire District 7. This event has become a tradition for many families throughout our community with what were once children, now bringing their children.

So what is Fire Prevention Week? The history of Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8 but continued into and did the most damage on October 9, 1871. In just 27 hours, this tragic fire killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,000 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The cause of the fire has never been confirmed. 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 President of the United States has signed a proclamation pronouncing a national observance during that week every year since 1925.

Fire Prevention Week has been sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for many years. NFPA selects the Fire Prevention Week theme in order to highlight a growing concern. Personnel from our department present this message in many forms during the open house from informational handouts to live puppet shows.

For more information on Fire District 7’s Open House, contact Public Educator Autumn Waite at awaite@firedistrict7.com or 360-282-3956. Or click on NFPA's official Fire Prevention Week website.