When it comes to fires of all types, there’s no substitution for fire prevention. As a reminder of that fact, this week is National Fire Prevention Week and October is National Fire Prevention Month.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, the latest statistics show that if you have a fire reported in your home, you are more likely to die today than you were a few decades ago.

In light of this startling statistic, NFPA says this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware — fire can happen anywhere.”

Those words mean LOOK for places fire can start and LISTEN for the sound of the smoke alarm. And the third word, LEARN two ways out of each room, and a path from each exit to the outside.

“People take safety for granted and are not aware of the risk of fire,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “Paying attention to your surroundings, looking for available exits in the event of a fire or other emergency, and taking the smoke alarm seriously if it sounds can make a potentially life-saving difference in a fire or other emergency situation.”

This year’s Fire Prevention Week messages apply to virtually all locations. However, NFPA continues to focus on home fire safety, as the majority of U.S. fire deaths (four out of five) occur at home each year.

In fact, the fire death rate (per 1000 home fires reported to the fire department) was 10 percent higher in 2016 than in 1980.

“While we’ve made significant progress in preventing home fires from happening, these statistics show that there’s still much more work to do when it comes to teaching people how to protect themselves in the event of one, and why advance planning is so critically important,” said Carli.

“Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware – fire can happen anywhere.” works to remind the public that fires can and do still happen — at home, as well as other locations — and that there are basic but vitally important steps people can take to remain safe.

You can find more information and resources about this years campaign at the NFPA websites,www.fpw.organd www.nfpa.org.