ACC036605
!U08,22@       THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE

  Chicago. Sunday evening, October 8,
1871.  Mrs. O'Leary of 558 De Koven
Street finished milking her cow and
returned to the house, leaving her lan-
tern in the barn.  That much is fact.
Legend has it that the cow kicked the
lantern over into the straw and started 
what is known as the Great Chicago Fire.
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  The rest is history.  Three days of 
raging fire, leaving 250 persons dead
and 100,000 homeless.  Three days of 
flames, spreading over 3.5 square miles
of Chicago and destroying property
valued at $195,000,000.
  National Fire Prevention Week is ob-
served each year during the week con-
taining the tragic anniversary of this
disastrous fire.  Originally, there was 
only a single day, October 8, set aside
STOP
to mark the catastrophic event.  But
because of the number of lives lost and
the amount of property damaged yearly,
President Harding decided that a full 
week was necessary to remind people of 
the importance of fire prevention.
  Each one of us plays an important role
in fire prevention.  Because 60 percent
of all fires are preventable, it's up to
us to learn more about the causes of 
fire and its prevention.
STOP
  Every year thousands of people die in 
fires, usually in their homes or apart-
ments.  According to the National Bureau
of Standards, many people underestimate
the time it takes a fire to spread.  But
when fire strikes, it's the seconds and 
minutes that count.  This is because fire 
spreads 1,100 percent in the first four 
minutes.  And heat travels upward at the 
rate of 90 feet per second.
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  The Bureau states that it may take 
only two minutes from the time a fire
begins until it engulfs an entire room.
  The best way to prevent fire is to be 
on the lookout for possible fire haz-
ards--to stop fire before it has a 
chance to start.  This means being alert 
and cautious not only during the second
week in October, but every day of the 
year.
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