Fire Prevention Week Display

Today is the first day of Fire Prevention Week, which continues through October 10.

Fire Prevention Week has been celebrated since 1922. The week always includes October 9th in memory of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While the Chicago Fire actually started on October 8, 1871 most of its damage occurred on October 9th.

Today, the Chicago Fire is more "famous" but the bigger fire actually occurred in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website states that the Peshtigo fire was the "most devastating forest fire in American history." It burned down 16 towns in northeastern Wisconsin. It also spread into Michigan burning the town of Menominee.

The East Tawas Library has a new display case which was given to the library earlier this summer in memory of Suzanne Smith Frantz and Hubert "Stacy" Smith. The display case allows the display of small items as well as books. The display case is a wonderful addition to the library and something that has been on the library's wish list for a long time.

This week the display case contains a few items from the fire collection of the late Thomas C. Elvey. My Dad started his life-long career and passion for fire prevention by serving on the University of Alaska's fire department in College (Fairbanks), Alaska, while still in high school.

Some of my favorite fire related memories include: taking my Dad to see the Old Chicago Water Tower (one of the few buildings to survive the Chicago fire), when I lived in Chicago; visiting the new University of Alaska fire station with my parents, 25 years after they left Alaska; and I will also never forget visiting the Peshtigo fire museum and cemetery.

The East Tawas Library Fire Prevention Week display includes 33 different books, some of which are:

Jim Murphy's The Great Fire, a 1996 Newbery Honor Book, is a factual book about the Great Chicago Fire.

The Firebrand by Susan Wiggs is a novel about the Chicago Fire.

The book Day of Darkness, Night of Light by C.L.G. Martin tells the story of the Menominee fire from the perspective of a thirteen-year-old boy.

See the following web sites for more information:

http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=1438&URL=Safety%20Information/Fire%20Prevention%20Week%202009

http://www.chicagohs.org/fire/

http://www.peshtigofire.info/

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hal_mhc_mhm_fire_10-08-2003_92068_7.pdf