The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced that its Fire Prevention Week 2009 will take place October 4 to 10.

This year's theme is Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned. The campaign emphasizes ways to prevent fires and the deaths, injuries, and property loss they cause.

According to NFPA, U.S. fire departments responded to 399,000 home fires in 2007, the last year studied. The fires killed nearly 2,900 people, or about eight every day of the year.

The annual observance commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Lasting 2 days, the fire killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, and destroyed more than 17,000 buildings.

NFPA's new Fire Prevention Week website, http://www.firepreventionweek.org, offers safety tips, statistics, and other resources that can be used by anyone interested in learning about fire safety or teaching others.