Fire Prevention Week Starts Today
While folklore has it that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern that started the tragic Chicago fire of 1871, it was never proven that the cow was at fault. However, the October 9 fire was indeed the key reason that this is national Fire Prevention Week.
Since 1922 Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the week in which October 9 falls, as a way to remember the importance of fire safety.
Actually, not a great deal has changed in the basic construction of barns, buildings and other structures since Mrs. O’Leary’s day. Most are still made out of wood, which of course, is very flammable. What has changed are the options people have for topping off their homes.
At DaVinci Roofscapes we’re proud that our impact-resistant polymer shake and slate roofing tiles can all help a roofing system achieve a Class A fire rating when installed with the proper underlayment. This means that fire won’t spread on a roof if a flame touches it … and it makes the roof system more resistant to burning (see it for yourself by clicking HERE).
These days it’s not a potential cow kicking over a lantern that homeowners have to worry about. It’s Mother Nature.
Severe wildfires across our dry country have destroyed many homes during the past several years. High winds that fuel the fires also carry flames toward structures. That’s where having a fire-resistant roof can help. While certainly any structure — including its roof — will burn when fully engulfed in a fire, it’s comforting to know that wind-carried flames from a wildfire simply won’t “catch hold” and cause a building to ignite.
At DaVinci, we think that keeping families safer with fire-resistant roofing is not just a great idea … it’s something to moo about!
For more on the 2016 campaign “Don’t Wait: Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years” sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association, click HERE. Also, learn more about simulated shake roofing at It’s Fire Prevention Week – How Important Is a Strong Fire Rating for a Roof? and Roof Check Recommended During Fire Prevention Week, October 6-12, 2013.