Teaching Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention Week Is an Excellent Way to Thoughtfully Teach Your Kids About Fire Safety. Get Free Resources in This Post.

October 6th is National Fire Prevention Week, in remembrance of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 that burned over 2,000 acres leaving most of the city desolate and 100,000 people homeless.

That’s a tough lesson but one that we can continue to improve on. Fire is really the most preventable disaster. We really have much more control over this disaster than any other.

Teaching kids to take fire safety and prevention seriously, while they are young, is extremely important. Many a fire and forest fires are started by kids and teens playing with matches or simply not taking fire prevention seriously. This past Labor Day weekend found one of the most popular hiking and tourist destinations in the Columbia River Gorge in flames due to apathetic teenagers with fireworks. As I write this, the Eagle Creek Fire is currently at 46% containment and has burned up to 49,000 acres.

Teaching your kids diligent fire safety and prevention techniques and principles is one of the most important things you can do. Trust me they are never too young, as my 3 and 4-year old recently demonstrated.

Resources for teaching kids about fire and prevention in a fun and engaging way are as follows:

Safety Smart Science with Bill Nye: Fire Safety

Safety Smart Science with Bill Nye the Science Guy: Fire Classroom Edition [Interactive DVD]

For teachers here is a full lesson plan with activities!

Wild About Safety with Timon and Pumbaa: Safety Smart about Fire

Disney’s Wild About Safety with Timon and Pumbaa Safety Smart About Fire! Classroom Edition [Interactive DVD]

There is a great lesson plan that goes with the video from education world.

FEMA + Sesame Street is the perfect preschool fire safety curriculum, easily adaptable for home use.

Fire Safe Kids is loaded with every possible way to teach kids about fire prevention. You’ll find video games, activities, coloring pages, quizzes and more. This is a definite must visit.

Books to Add to Your Preparedness Library

Kids Books

No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons) by Jeane Pendziwol

Stop Drop and Roll: A Jessica Worries Book about fire safety by Margery Cuyler

Arthur’s Fire Drill (Step-Into-Reading, Step 3) by Marc Brown

Teen Books

Dear America: Down the Rabbit Hole, the Story of the Chicago Fire of 1871 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Children of the Fire by Harriette Gilles Robinet

Cinnamon Moon by Tess Hilmo

YouTube Videos

For outdoor fire safety and home fire safety

Apps

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has several educational apps for kids under the Sparky the Fire Dog website. Try Sparky’s Birthday Surprise, Sparky & the Case of the Missing Smoke Alarms, Sparky’s Brain Busters, and Sparky’ Firehouse. All Can be found at Spark.org

FireSafe Family VA by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs. This is very much like the Red Cross disaster-specific apps. However Fire is the only one not covered by the Red Cross, so this is definitely a good substitute.

Don’t forget to brush on these past fire safety and prevention articles here at Preparedness Mama for more information. I love doing a home safety scavenger hunt with my kids, and most of those address fire prevention. Here’s is a previous post with more fire safety education resources for you to utilize, it as a variety of basic fire prevention principles. And since the holidays around the corner, you can help others prepare with a few thoughtful gifts or even a DIY emergency escape ladder.

Hopefully, all of this has given you good food for thought and even better, sparked action. If you already feel prepared at least time to review your fire escape plan and have a drill. With fires being the most preventable disaster the statistics are still too high. It’s worth the time to teach your kids and be prepared.

It really does save lives. Happy Upcoming Fire Prevention Week!