NASHVILLE, TN (WTVF) — It's Fire Prevention Safety Week and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office has launched a new campaign they're hoping will help save lives. You may recognize the face or the voice they're using to help spread the word.
If you're a country music fan, you know Tracy Lawrence, the singer. Now he's teamed up with the state and become their spokesperson for fire safety.
Lawrence hopes his fans will listen and learn from his latest project, a new series of fire safety videos produced by the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office.
Click here for more: Tennessee Fire Marshal Safety videos with Tracy Lawrence
"It’s all about educating people and letting them know the resources that are out there and letting them know that they can protect themselves by just making a few adjustments in the things that they do," Lawrence explained.
There are nine of these videos posted by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance on social media and the department's YouTube page.
They focus on things like cooking safety, carbon monoxide dangers, home fires, and the importance of smoke alarms.
Lawrence, who lives in Wilson County, shot the videos at the nearby Mt. Juliet Fire Department.
"What do you hope that folks will get out of watching these videos?" NewsChannel 5 asked him.
"A little education and hopefully it'll prevent a dangerous situation that could possibly cost them their lives. I hope to save lives. That’s really the ultimate goal here," Lawrence said.
Lawrence hosts a big Thanksgiving turkey fry at the Nashville Rescue Mission every year. He says they always follow fire safety rules and thankfully have never had a fire or even a close call.
"A lot of people don’t realize that you really have to thaw your turkey out. If you put a frozen turkey in 350° oil, it is going to explode. And if you are cooking on your deck, it is going to burn your house down," Lawrence said.
The theme of this year's Fire Prevention Week is "Serve Up Fire Safety In the Kitchen." One of the reasons is cooking is the leading cause of home fires and injuries.
To prevent kitchen fires, never leave food cooking on the stove. If you're baking something in the oven, use a timer to remind you when it's done. Keep your pets and kids away from the stove when it's on. Lastly, when you're done make sure everything is off. It's always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher nearby, just in case.
