PASCO, Wash. – In September Governor Jay Inslee signed a declaration proclaiming October 8-14 a Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme is Cooking Safety Starts with You.
According to the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office in 1925 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance.
This makes it the longest-running health observance in the United States.
In a report from the National Fire Protection Association, from 2017-2021, each year cooking has caused an average of more than 158,000 structure fires.
Ben Shearer of the Pasco Fire Department said cooking fires continue to be the number one cause of fires in the city of Pasco.
“Cooking happens all the time,” said Shearer. “It involves heat, it involves grease and we have oxygen in the air. Those are the three things you need to make a fire happen. Heat, fuel and oxygen.”
Below is a video demonstration Shearer showed off what could happen when a kitchen fire happens and how to put it out.
Sergio, the owner of the Hibachi Explosion food truck said they opened in April. Sergio said he cleans the hood of his grill twice a week but is required to have professionally cleaned twice a year just in case there is a fire.
“They require us to have two exits just in case one of the exits is on fire, we have another exit to get out of here,” said Sergio.
Sergio says he keeps two separate fire extinguishers on his truck, one for a grease fire and one for other fires.
Shearer says some other ways to prevent fires no matter where you are is by working smoke alarms and having an escape plan.
“Always knowing two ways out and then practicing with your family a couple of times a year,” Shearer said. “That keeps that in your brain so when that emergency happens because of flame or because of smoke, there’s a second way I can get out of my house safely.”
According to Shearer on Saturday, October 21 from 1 to 4 pm at Station 84 in Pasco, they’ll be holding an open house where you can see demonstrations and equipment and meet the firefighters and their community partners.
