Annandale Fire Stations to Host Open House Saturday for Fire Prevention Week

Annandale residents will have an opportunity to tour Annandale's volunteer fire stations during an open house event on Saturday, Oct. 12 for Fire Prevention Week.

Fire Prevention Week started Oct. 6 and lasts through Oct. 12. All fire stations in the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department will host open houses from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Annandale has two fire stations: Station 8, located at 7128 Columbia Pike, and Station 23, located at 8914 Little River Turnpike. 

See photos from the 2012 Fire Prevention Week Open House in Annandale

The theme for this year's Fire Prevention Week is "Prevent Kitchen Fires." Displays and other activities will educate residents about fire safety, preventing home fires and treating fire injuries, according to a news release from the department.

In recognition of Fire Prevention Week, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department released the following facts about fire:

• In 2011, U.S. fire departments responded to 370,000 home structure fires. These involved 13,910 civilian injuries, 2,520 civilian deaths, $6.9 billion in direct damage.
• On average, seven die in U.S. home fires every day.
• Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, followed by heating type fires. Smoking is a leading cause of civilian home fire deaths.
• Two of every five home fires start in the kitchen.
• Unattended cooking is a factor in 34 percent of reported home cooking fires.
• Ranges accounted for 58 percent of home cooking fires. Ovens accounted for 19 percent.
• The leading factor contributing to heating equipment fires was failure to clean, primarily creosote from chimneys.
• Portable heaters, including wood stoves, were involved with one-third of home fires.
• Almost two-thirds of reported home fire deaths resulted from fires with no working smoke alarms.

To learn more about fire prevention, go to www.firepreventionweek.org.