Last February, Cassandra Proctor was spending an afternoon relaxing and watching television. When she began smelling smoke from another bedroom, she became concerned. After seeing flames, Proctor, a 14-year-old Wright City Middle School student, alerted her family to escape the burning house. Her quick actions to close the bedroom door helped keep the fire from spreading twice as fast and possibly trapping a family member. While the house was a complete loss, the remaining seven family members home at the time exited safely. Proctor employed fire prevention tactics she learned at various functions, she said. "It was reassuring to know we are making a difference in the community," Wright City Acting Chief Ron MacKnight said. "Even if we save one life - in this case it was several - it was a difference. "She applied what she learned," he added. Area departments celebrated National Fire Prevention Week, held Oct. 4-10, as a way to educate area students. Firefighters spent the majority of the week teaching students about fire safety and prevention. Proctor's knowledge helped the family avoid a tragedy, according to firefighters. It also kept the family from becoming a grim statistic. According to the Missouri Division of Fire Safety, investigators probed 78 deaths during the 2009 fiscal year (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009), an increase from 67 in the 2008 fiscal year. In 2008, firefighters responded to 386,500 home fires nationwide. Those resulted in 2,755 people being killed. Eighty-three percent of all fire deaths resulted from home fires, the National Fire Protection Association said. Warrenton Assistant Fire Chief Ken Smith said the Warrenton Fire Protection District has been participating in National Fire Prevention Week for more than 20 years. He said the ability to meet face-to-face with students from kindergarten through fifth grade is an invaluable tool to teach their message about fire safety. "Prevention is the most important thing our department does," Smith said. "Anytime our trucks go out, then that is a failure. The overall goal is to prevent a fire from occurring." During one session Tuesday morning, Warrenton firefighters showed students the numerous safety apparatus they use, sometimes on a daily basis, including their clothing, air tank and thermal imaging camera. The firefighters stressed the importance of having a family meeting place should a house catch on fire and there is a need to escape. Firefighter Brett Owenby said a family could gather at a swing set, neighbor's house or mailbox. "When emergency personnel gets there, we will know if everybody is there," firefighter Brett Owenby explained to the students. "It's always good to go home and practice your own drill." The Wright City Fire Protection District spent the week visiting students in the R-II School District and Liberty Christian Academy. "It is probably one of the most important weeks of the year," MacKnight said. "It's an emphasis on the academic side. We try to do this all year, but it's important to get to the schools and see the kids." The Marthasville Volunteer Fire Department also has been getting in the act to teach area students the importance of fire prevention. Firefighters visited Marthasville Elementary, St. Ignatius and St. Vincent schools this week. National Fire Prevention Week will conclude this Saturday with Warrenton hosting an open house from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at its new fire station on South Highway 47. Visitors can tour fire trucks, pick up fire prevention materials and greet Smokey the Bear. Refreshments will be served. The Warrenton department also holds a a coloring contest that features a winner from each classroom it visits. Smith said 33 students are recognized and receive a free T-shirt.