While fall is known for enjoying the cool crisp air, getting cozy, and celebrating holidays, the Park Forest Fire Department often sees it as a time to brush up on fire safety.
On Friday, Oct. 13, from 4:30 to 8 p.m., the Park Forest Fire Department will kick off Fire Prevention Week with its 2023 Open House, hosted at the Park Forest Fire Department, 156 Indianwood Blvd.
The fire department hosts several family-friendly themes at the open house, including giveaways, food, bounce houses, and more. Additionally, residents will see fire prevention demonstrations and can tour the fire station.
For this year’s Fire Prevention Week, it was announced by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that the theme for 2023 was cooking safety and all the important actions that people should take while in the kitchen in order to prevent burns and house fires.
According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the US. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.
These cooking-related home fires often peaked during Thanksgiving and Christmas, with ranges or cooktops being involved in 61% of reported home cooking fires, 87% of cooking fire deaths, and 78% of cooking fire injuries. Also, homes with electric ranges have a higher risk of cooking fires than those with gas ranges.
“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half (49%) of all U.S. home fires,” Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA said in a press release.
“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.”