State Farm® and NFPA Serve Up Safety for National Fire Prevention Week

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm are teaming up with fire departments to support Fire Prevention Week. The annual public awareness campaign promotes home fire safety. In 2019, State Farm alone paid more than $1.7 billion for home fire claims.

State Farm agents have delivered more than 2,500 Fire Prevention Week safety kits to paid and volunteer fire departments across the country. Each safety kit includes resources for National Fire Prevention Week including brochures, magnets, posters and more. Fire departments will be sharing these resources with schools and communities this fall in support of the campaign.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen,” focuses on cooking fire safety. According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Almost half (44%) of reported home fires start in the kitchen. Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials.

Remember these safety tips when cooking:

• Keep a close eye on what you’re cooking. Never leave cooking unattended.
• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — at least three feet away from your stovetop.
• Be alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.
• Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.
• Have a “kid and pet-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

Ways you can support National Fire Prevention Week:

• Use NFPA’s Social Media Cards for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (available in English, Spanish, and French).
• Add #FirePreventionWeek to all your fire prevention week social media posts and feel free to tag @NFPA and @Sparkythefiredog! 
• Teachers, community groups, and first responders are encouraged to use NFPA’s FPW Out of the Box Ideas to find new ways to use safety materials to reach your community.
• Visit Sparky’s School House at https://sparkyschoolhouse.org/#top to view fire safety videos and educational materials for children.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen,” visit fpw.org.

In the News:

The Pantagraph: Watch now: McLean County fire truck parade spreads safety message (10/4/20)

The Outlook: State Farm agent donates fire prevention materials (10/2/20)

Press Herald: State Farm teams up with Saco Fire Department to serve up kitchen safety (10/1/20)