Neptune Fire Commissioner Doug Rowell spoke about Fire Prevention Month, which is observed during the month of October. He began by relating the significance of this month as the anniversaries of the Great Chicago fire and the Peshtigo fire, both of which occurred in October 1871, resulting in thousands of fatalities and massive destruction.
He encouraged us to Look/Listen/Learn to help prevent fires in our homes and businesses:
Look – pay attention to the top 3 causes of fires; cooking, heating systems, and electrical
Listen – smoke alarms should be tested every month, the battery replaced every year, and completely replaced every 10 years
Learn – have at least 2 ways out of each room
He also shared photos of the causes and results of some local fires, which went a long way to motivate us all to take a good look around our homes with an eye towards fire prevention.