Fire Prevention Week

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Fire Prevention Week:

National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) Fire Prevention Week 2025 Theme: Charge into Fire Safety

The Brantford Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®)—the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years—to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home!TM from October 5-11, 2025. The campaign highlights how important it is to buy, charge, and recycle lithium-ion batteries safely.

The Brantford Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2025 Fire Prevention Week theme and offers these key safety tips and guidelines:

Buy only listed products.

  • When buying a product that uses a lithium-ion battery, take time to research it. Look for a stamp from a nationally recognized testing lab on the packaging and product, which means that it meets important safety standards. 
  • Many products sold online and in stores may not meet safety standards and could increase the risk of fire.

Charge devices safely.

  • Always use the cables that came with the product to charge it. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer.
  • If you need a new charger, buy one from the manufacturer or one that the manufacturer has approved.
  • Charge your device on a hard surface. Don’t charge it under a pillow, on a bed, or on a couch. This could cause a fire.
  • Don’t overcharge your device. Unplug it or remove the battery when it’s fully charged.

Recycle batteries responsibly.

  • Don’t throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash or regular recycling bins because they could catch fire.
  • Recycling your device or battery at a safe battery recycling location is the best way to dispose of them. Visit call2recycle.org to find a recycling spot near you or bring your dead batteries out to one of our outreach events happening during Fire Prevention Week.

Follow Brantford Fire on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for up to date information on Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Brantford or visit www.fpw.org to learn more about lithium-ion battery safety.

Fire Prevention Week's history

The history of Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred on October 9, 1871, and killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres in 27 hours.

While the origin of the fire has never been determined, there has been much speculation over how it began. One popular legend, which was recently refuted by a Chicago historian, is that Mrs. Catherine O'Leary was milking her cow when the animal kicked over a lamp, setting the O'Leary barn on fire and starting the spectacular blaze.

On the Great Chicago Fire's 40th anniversary, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA) sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, advocating an annual observation as a way to keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention.

Fire Prevention Week 2025 Activities

The Brantford Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home!TM, including a number of displays with educational information and a chance to see a fire truck on the following dates:

  • Sunday, October 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Brantwood Farms, located at 251 Powerline Road, Brantford.
  • Monday, October 6 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at RONA+, located at 215 Henry Street, Brantford.
  • Tuesday, October 7 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Costco, located at 175 Roy Blvd, Brantford.
  • Wednesday, October 8 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Brantford Public Library, located at 441 St. Paul Avenue, Brantford.
  • Wednesday, October 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Elements Casino, located 40 Icomm Drive, Brantford.
  • Thursday, October 9 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, located at 254 North Park Street, Brantford.
  • Friday, October 10 from 6:00pm to 9:00 p.m. at the Brantford Bulldogs Home Game, located at 79 Market Street South, Brantford.
  • Saturday, October 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Brantford Farmers Market located at 79 Icomm Drive, Brantford.

Do you have lithium-ion batteries you’d like to dispose of? Bring them with you and deposit them in one of our disposal boxes at any of the events listed above.