The Excelsior Springs Council has declared by proclamation Oct. 8-14, 2023 as Fire Prevention Week. According to the new proclamation, more than 2,800 individuals have died in home fires across the nation in 202,1 and 338,000 home fires have occurred accompanied by a firefighter response. “Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S.,” Mayor Mark Spohn said. “Two of every five home fires start in the kitchen, with 31% resulting from unattended cooking.” Spohn explained that more than half of all reported non-fatal home cooking fire injuries have resulted in a situation where the victim(s) have tried to fight the fire by themselves. He said ultimately, children under five years old end up facing a higher risk. Of those risks, children under five face an incident resulting from an association with cooking rather than being burned by a fire. “Excelsior Springs should turn pot handles toward the back of the stove and always keep a lid nearby when cooking as well as keep a…