Education Everywhere — Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 6-12 and E.S.C.A.P.E Inc. and the National Fire Protection Association is encouraging everyone to make sure they have working smoke alarms in their homes.
According to E.S.C.A.P.E, 73 people have died in 70 fires in Michigan through Sept. 28. 125 people died in 112 fires in the state in 2023.
Smoke alarms should be installed and maintained on every level of a home, including the basement. Alarms should be tested monthly by pressing the test button.
Many Michigan fire departments will install free smoke alarms in owner-occupied homes. Contact your local fire department or E.S.C.A.P.E. at 1-844-978-4400 for more information.
Fire Prevention Week is the longest-running public health observance in the United States, being proclaimed by President Calvin Coolidge in 1925. The observance coincides with the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.
For more tips on fire prevention, visit the Fire Prevention Week website.
