Fire Prevention Week Begins

Burnt sofas, pianos and even fans, all on display at the Valley Mall to show just how serious a fire can be.
The Harrisonburg Fire Department is putting out this fire, in hope that it may prevent another one.
Wanda Willis, with Harrisonburg Fire Prevention says, "It's very important to let people know that they need to be aware of fires. Fires still kill almost 3,000 people a year in the United States in home fires."
The Staunton Fire Department is also doing preventative education throughout schools this week.
The fire fighters believes it's the small things that people often forget.
Joey Ayers, A Staunton Fire Fighter says, "It's just getting the word out to the people and getting them to understand the importance of everything and why smoke detectors are important and why it's important for them to get out of the house."
Harrisonburg Fire Department says kitchen accident are a leading reason they are called to put out a fire.
Willis says, "Cooking fires are the number one reason why people get burned in fires and they are also the number one reason why a home burns. So, it's very, very important to take a look at your kitchen and see what you can do to prevent the fire from happening."
Firefighters also want creating awareness about problems caused by cigarettes and lighters.
Willis says, "The last death that we had in the city of Harrisonburg was due to a cigarette fire on a couch and they fell asleep. So, that is one of the things that we know is very important to make sure that people are aware of cigarettes and how they can burn a house down very quickly.
The Harrisonburg Fire Department will have their fire safety display out from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. through out the week
While 66% of Americans have an escape plan in case of fire, only 35% have practiced it.