Fire Prevention Day, Traffic and Weather

Every year on October 9, the nation recognizes Fire Prevention Day in towns all across the U.S., with the entire week designated as Fire Prevention Week.

The first Fire Prevention Day was held in 1920, as a result of the events that led to the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. According to legend, the historic blaze began on Oct. 8 as Mrs. O'Leary was in her barn milking a cow, when the animal kicked over a lamp and ignited the blaze.

Here's what else is going on in town today.

1. Today's forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 66 degrees and a low of 52 overnight. 

2. While the legend of a cow starting a fire can bring a chuckle, the actual event was no joke. The Great Chicago Fire raged for over 27 hours, killing more than 300 people and leaving 100,000 more homeless, as over 17,000 structures were destroyed. Click here to learn more about Fire Prevention Day, and Fire Prevention Week.

3. Are you a commuter? Keep tabs on local traffic in real-time to choose your best route to the office.

4. Do you need to fill up your gas tank when you head out? Use our Mapquest widget to compare the lowest prices in the East Brunswick area.