Coloring to prevent fires

A pot-holder too close to a lit burner or a pillow in front of a space heater is all it takes to start a home fire, and making kids aware of those little things is the mission of the Snohomish County Fire Prevention Association’s annual coloring contest.

A partnership with Sno-Isle Libraries and Safe Kids Snohomish County in honor of Fire Prevention Month, the contest strives to teach families how to prevent fires.

“While the number of home fires is daunting, the good news is that many are easily preventable when families take simple steps to increase their safety from fire,” said Deputy Chief Steve Sherman, president of SCFPA.

“Kids will have fun participating in the contest while the whole family learns how to keep their home safer from fire.”

Cooking and heating are among the leading causes of home fires in the United States, Sherman said. In Washington state alone, 9,666 home fires caused 51 deaths during 2006.

Kids who would like to enter the contest should go to the Safe Kids Snohomish County Web site at www.snosafekids.org and click on “coloring contest.”

Contest entries will be collected at Sno-Isle Libraries Oct. 1 to 22, 2008.

The Snohomish County Fire Prevention Association is comprised of fire marshals, fire inspectors and public educators from fire departments across Snohomish County that band together to get fire prevention information to citizens.

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