The 2023 annual Fire Prevention Parade hosted by the Keene Fire Department (KFD) will be on Sunday, October 8, at 1:00 PM. The parade will begin at 350 Marlboro Street, take a right onto Main Street, and end on Washington Street near Vernon Street. This is a wonderful event for all ages! Following the parade, there will be a presentation of trophies with light refreshments at the Keene Fire Department on Vernon Street.

KFD is joining the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week^TM (FPW) for over 100 years — to promote this year’s campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.” The campaign aims to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe. Fire Prevention Week begins October 8^th.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States, and unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths. According to Lorraine Carli, Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA, “Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half (49 percent) of all U.S. home fires. These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”

Keene’s Fire Chief, Donald Farquhar, shared, “A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.” The Keene Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme and provides key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire:

1. Watch what you heat, and always keep a close eye on what you are cooking.
2. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
3. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. 
4. Have a kid- and pet-free zone of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
5. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.

To learn more about FPW programs and activities in Keene,

contact Keene’s Fire Prevention Office at (603} 357-9861.

For general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit nfpa.org/fpw.

For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.