Most fires in 2009 occurred during the afternoon and evening hours when people tend to be at home, acc ording to the West Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office.

Armed with this knowledge, the State Fire Marshal’s Office continues to educate West Virginia communities on the dangers of house fires.

Though, calls continue to come in to area volunteer fire departments.

In the last 19 days that have made up the month of January, the Danville Volunteer Fire Department, alone, has been called out to approximately 21 calls.

This wear and tear on the department’s equipment requires the volunteer crews to be vigilant in the upkeep of their equipment.

This past week, several volunteer fire fighters were seen outside scrubbing and rinsing off hoses and trucks, preparing for the next call that would come into their firehouse.

Their diligence in being prepared is echoed in fire stations throughout the state.

According to the WV State Fire Marshal’s Annual Report for 2009, 5,600 fire safety inspections, consultations, and complaints were conducted by the division. This represents an average of 467 inspections per fire marshal.

“This shows an increase from last year due to the fact that the two fire marshals who retired were able to be replaced. Inspections continue to be prioritized and limited to certain occupancies.”

“In addition to fire safety inspections, a significant number of man-hours were expended conducting fire safety training and educational programs, complaint investigations, assisting the Fire Investigation Division and department training. Additional educational programs include: in-service training to county school maintenance and educational staffs, presentations to the West Virginia Landlords Association, Department of Health and Human Services social workers, West Virginia Advocate employees day care and Residential Board & Care providers and the West Virginia Hospital Engineers Association,” the report states.

In February, all West Virginia firefighters have the opportunity to participate in a National Fire Academy Weekend at the West Virginia State Fire Academy.

Located in Weston, Lewis County, the Academy is slated to take place from Feb. 27 until 28.

The courses being offered are Leadership II: Strategies for Personal Success (LSII) and Fire Modeling (FM). The classes will be limited to 30 students each.

Due to National Fire Academy protocol, all registrations must be received by January 22, 2010.

For more information about the Academy, you can direct questions to Lanny L. Adkins, WVU Fire Service Extension Program Coordinator at 304-269-0875.