Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention Week is an annual fire safety campaign led by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). It is held each October during the week that includes October 9, the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and fire departments, schools and employers across the country use it to teach people how to prevent fires and escape safely.

For employers, the week is a ready-made reason to check extinguishers, walk exit routes, run a drill and refresh fire safety training before the heating season begins.

When Is Fire Prevention Week in 2027?

Fire Prevention Week 2027 runs from Sunday, October 3 through Saturday, October 9, 2027. The week is set as the Sunday-through-Saturday period that includes October 9, so the dates shift slightly each year. For comparison, NFPA held Fire Prevention Week on October 4–10 in 2026.

NFPA picks a new theme each year and announces it ahead of the week, along with posters, lesson plans and social media materials. The 2025 and 2026 campaigns focused on lithium-ion battery safety, including how to charge devices safely. Watch NFPA's Fire Prevention Week page for the 2027 theme once it is announced.

Why It Matters at Work

A workplace fire can injure workers, destroy equipment and inventory, and shut down operations for weeks. Most workplace fires start from a short list of familiar causes:

• Electrical problems such as overloaded circuits, damaged cords and misused extension cords and power strips
• Hot work such as welding, cutting and grinding near combustible materials
• Poor housekeeping, including accumulated dust, packaging, pallets and oily rags
• Flammable liquids that are stored or dispensed incorrectly
• Heating equipment placed too close to combustibles
• Rechargeable batteries in tools, forklifts, scooters and devices that are damaged, overheated or charged with the wrong equipment

Fleets have their own exposure: vehicle fires, fueling areas, shop operations and battery charging for electric vehicles and equipment. In every setting, the most important factors are the same. Prevent ignition, keep exits clear, make sure people know the alarm and the plan, and keep fire protection equipment ready to use.

How to Take Part

Practical ideas for a workplace or fleet during Fire Prevention Week:

• Use the official theme. Download NFPA's free materials for the current year's theme and adapt them for a toolbox talk, breakroom poster or employee newsletter.
• Inspect every extinguisher. Confirm each unit is mounted, visible, unobstructed, charged and tagged with a current annual maintenance date.
• Walk the exit routes. Check that exit doors open easily, signs are lit, aisles are clear and nothing is stored in stairwells or in front of electrical panels.
• Run a fire drill. Time the evacuation, check that everyone reaches the assembly point, and confirm supervisors can account for their people, including visitors and contractors.
• Audit battery charging. Look at where tool batteries, phones, e-bikes and powered equipment are charged. Remove damaged batteries and mismatched chargers.
• Hold hands-on extinguisher training. If your plan calls for employees to use extinguishers, practice the PASS method with a training unit or simulator.
• Invite your local fire department. Many departments will tour a facility during the week and offer recommendations.

Toolbox Talk: Fire Prevention and Extinguisher Basics

Read this 5-minute talk to your crew during Fire Prevention Week.

1. Know the alarm and your exit. Everyone should know what the alarm sounds like, two ways out of their work area and where the assembly point is.
2. Keep ignition sources and fuel apart. Store flammable liquids in approved containers, clean up dust and oily rags, and keep heaters away from combustibles.
3. Treat electrical damage as a fire hazard. Take damaged cords, plugs and battery packs out of service and report them. Never daisy-chain power strips.
4. Know when to fight and when to leave. Only fight a fire if you are trained, the fire is small, the alarm has been raised and you have a clear exit behind you. If in doubt, get out.
5. Remember PASS. Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle and Sweep side to side.
6. Never block equipment or exits. Extinguishers, pull stations, sprinkler heads and exit doors must stay clear at all times.

Discussion question: If a fire started in our area right now, what is the first thing you would do, and which way would you go out?

Related Requirements

Where an employer provides portable fire extinguishers for employee use, OSHA's portable fire extinguishers standard at 29 CFR 1910.157 applies. Key points:

• Extinguishers must be visually inspected monthly.
• Each extinguisher must receive an annual maintenance check, and the date must be recorded and kept for one year after the last entry or the life of the shell, whichever is less.
• Employees must be trained in the general principles of extinguisher use and the hazards of incipient stage firefighting when first hired and at least annually after that.

Read the full text in 29 CFR 1910.157. Most employers also need an emergency action plan and, where required, a fire prevention plan under OSHA's emergency standards.

How SMS360 Helps

Fire readiness comes down to routine checks done on time. The SMS360 Audits & Inspections module lets you set up digital checklists for monthly extinguisher inspections, exit route walks and housekeeping audits, complete them on a phone or tablet, and assign corrective actions when an extinguisher is missing or an exit is blocked. You can also schedule and track annual extinguisher training, store drill records and fire plans, and use dashboards to see overdue inspections across locations.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Fire Prevention Week 2027?

Fire Prevention Week 2027 is October 3–9. It always falls on the Sunday-through-Saturday week that includes October 9, so the exact dates change slightly each year.

Why is Fire Prevention Week in October?

The week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and burned into October 9. NFPA has sponsored the observance for roughly a century and uses it to promote a different fire safety theme each year.

What is the Fire Prevention Week theme for 2027?

NFPA announces each year's theme in advance, and the 2027 theme had not been published when this page was written. Recent campaigns in 2025 and 2026 focused on lithium-ion battery safety. Check NFPA's Fire Prevention Week page for the current theme and free materials.