Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK. The Ritzville Fire Department’s volunteers turn out for more than just fires and accidents. They relish a chance to interact with the children in the community. During Fire Prevention Week, the firefighters pay Ritzville Grade School a visit and spend the afternoon with second grade students. Monday they kept with tradition, despite rainy weather, and broke out the fire hoses so the students could enjoy a hands-on experience. Firefighter Robert Reynolds hangs on to the hose as Kyle Hartman gives the nozzle a turn to create a water-based fog. –Journal photo by Janis Rountree
This year, agencies and firefighters will commemorate Fire Prevention Week Oct. 9-15, 2011, with various programs and activities.
Locally, firemen typically visit school districts in an effort to reach out to youth about the dangers of fire and how to prevent them.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (http://www.nfpa.org), "Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on Oct. 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on Oct. 9, 1871.
"According to popular legend, the fire broke out after a cow - belonging to Mrs. Catherine O'Leary - kicked over a lamp, setting first the barn, then the whole city on fire. Chances are you've heard some version of this story yourself; people have been blaming the Great Chicago Fire on the cow and Mrs. O'Leary, for more than 130 years. But recent research by Chicago historian Robert Cromie has helped to debunk this version of events."
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