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Students' writing earns them a ride in a fire engine Fourth-grader Eliana Lewis arrives at Walker Elementary School in an Ashland Fire & Rescue truck on Tuesday morning. Photo by JD Anderson Tuesday Oct 14, 2014 at 5:56 PM Oct 15, 2014 at 12:03 PM Ian HandAshland Daily Tidings Ashland Fire and Rescue is not only driving home the message about fire prevention, they're also driving three students to school. In honor of last week's National Fire Prevention Week, Ashland fourth grade students wrote essays about the importance of smoke detectors. "Students were challenged to think about how to keep people safe," says Ashley Lara, fire adapted communities coordinator for Ashland Fire and Rescue. National Fire Prevention Week was established in 1922 to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of Oct. 9, 1871, which burned more than 2,000 acres and destroyed more than 17,400 structures. In 1912, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (now known as the International Fire Marshals Association) decided that the fire's anniversary should be observed in a way to keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. Fire Prevention Week runs from the Sunday through the Saturday of the week that Oct. 9 falls on. The week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. This year's theme was "Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month."  This is the fifth year Ashland Fire has held the essay contest. Students at Walker Elementary, Bellview Elementary and Willow Wind Community Learning Center took class time to learn about fire prevention, safety and the importance of checking smoke detectors.  "We've really had great support from the schools," Lara says. "Fourth grade is that great age where you really want to reach the kids about safety and prevention. They have a good perspective." Students then wrote essays focusing on checking smoke detectors and fire prevention education. One student from each school won a trip to school on a fire engine. The winners were Eliana Lewis from Walker, Mary Montgomery from Bellview and Iniana Hammond from Willow Wind.  "The kids really wrote some great essays," Lara says. "Eliana wrote a story about her cat, Fluffy, who smelled smoke and woke the family up. Fluffy saved the day. It turned out that her father forgot to check the smoke alarms." Another student talked about an aunt who had the idea of giving smoke detectors as gifts.  "Please do not become another number," reads an excerpt from the essay. "Install and test your smoke detectors often." "The contest really did what it was meant to do," Lara says. "It got the kids talking and examining fire prevention. It also got them to educate others, even if it's just their parents." The National Fire Protection Association reports that about 60 percent of reported home fire deaths from 2007 to 2011 were a result of no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms in the home. They also state that a working smoke alarm reduces the risk of dying in a home fire by half.  "Smoke alarms should be checked every month," Lara says. "It seems like a lot, but it really is an important safety measure." The NFPA reports that the leading cause of home fires is cooking. Two of every five home fires start in the kitchen. The second leading cause is related to heating. "As we start heading into winter candles and heaters are a big thing," Lara says. "People should make sure that candles and heaters are in a safe location, away from anything flammable and not where they can easily be knocked over. People should also make sure candles are blown out before leaving home and before bed and to not leave heaters running while they are out." You can learn more about Fire Prevention Week and other safety tips at www.nfpa.org. Email reporter Ian Hand at [email protected] or call him at 253-722-4071. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/IanHand_DT.