National Fire Prevention Week is coming up from October 6-12.
Established by the National Fire Prevention Association in 1992, it always lands on the week of October 8 to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, which killed approximately 300 people and burned an estimated 17,400 structures, or roughly 2,100 acres.
This year's theme is "Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!"
Okotoks' Fire Chief Trevor Brice says checking smoke alarms regularly is a good baseline practice, ideally once a month.
There are some strategies to optimize the use of smoke alarms, says Brice.
"You should really have a smoke alarm in every bedroom and outside every separate sleeping area, and also on each level of the house, which would include the basement... Battery smoke alarms have usually got a ten-year lifespan, so make sure that you change them after ten years or before they've stopped working."
Fire Prevention Week also happens to coincide with a few factors that elevate the risk of fires, including the arrival of colder weather, and Thanksgiving.
It's also the time of year when dry yard debris starts to accumulate, increasing the risk of house fires that start outdoors.
"In my short period of time in Okotoks, the last four years, we've had a number of fires that have started outside either in the autumn or spring, with leaves or other organic materials that have ended up catching to the siding or up the siding, and the house has caught fire," says Brice.
"What we say now is "Fire Smart" your property. That would be taking all those dry leaves away... get rid of those, get them away from the house. Any dry organic material like that can cause a fire. And clearly, a lot of those have started from smoking materials, so make sure you've got a proper receptacle to put your cigarette or cigar out, not just putting it in the plant pot with peat, which is combustible."
Okotoks Fire & Rescue is kicking off Fire Prevention Week with an open house event on Sunday (Oct. 6) at Fire Station 1 (132 Milligan Drive) from 1-3 p.m.
Locals are invited to stop by and meet the crew, take a look at their trucks and equipment up close, and more.
More information on the event and Fire Prevention Week can be seen on the Town of Okotoks website.