Hamilton, N.J. – With so many families telecommuting and educating from home, it is more important than ever to make your home fire safe.

To kick-off National Home Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10, a live Side-by-Side Burn Trailer demonstration will be held Thursday, Oct. 1, at 11 a.m. at the Morris County Fire Academy, 500 West Hanover Ave., Morristown, NJ.

The event is open to the public, all social distancing requirements will be followed, and it will be streamed on Facebook live at: https://www.facebook.com/NFSA.org.

The demonstration is being run by the New Jersey Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NJFSAB) in collaboration with the N.J. Division of Fire Safety, Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, and Sprinkler Fitters local Union 696. David Kurasz, Executive Director of NJFSAB and Rich Mikutsky, Director of the NJ Division of Fire Safety will be leading the presentation.

“When a fire breaks you may only have 3-5 minutes to escape. The burn demonstration shows how dangerously fast fires can spread and how quickly and effectively fire sprinkler systems can control the blaze,” explained Kurasz. “Seeing this first-hand really helps to emphasize how important it is for families to take proactive steps to reduce the risk of home fires and to prepare a fire safety and escape plan.”

The demonstration, which is open to the public (COVID-19 social distancing rules will be followed) features a Side-by-Side Burn Trailer equipped with two rooms, each outfitted with similar furniture. Both rooms have smoke alarms, but only one room has been equipped with a fire sprinkler system. A small fire is lit in each room allowing the audience to see how quickly a fire can ignite and spread to other items in the room. The room without the sprinkler is often destroyed in seconds, while the flames are quickly suppressed in the room with the fire sprinkler.

Fire sprinklers installed in homes can reduce the risk of dying in a fire by 80 percent, and reduce property loss by 70 percent. The demonstration will also include easy fire safety prevention tips to help reduce the risk of fire in your home.

“Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!” is the theme of Fire Prevention Week education campaign sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Cooking is the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires in the kitchen.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week visit the NFPA website: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Preparedness/Fire-Prevention-Week

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The mission of the New Jersey Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NJFSAB) is to save lives and protect property by educating the public about fire safety, demonstrating the benefits and effectiveness of fire sprinklers in suppressing and reducing the impact of fires, and supporting fire-safe building codes and legislation. NJFSAB is a cooperative partnership advocating installation and proper care of fire sprinkler systems. Headquartered in Hamilton, N.J., the Board is comprised of unionized workers (Sprinkler Fitters Local 696), local leaders, code committee members, contractors and businesses who represent fire sprinkler construction, production, distribution, and installation.