Villa Park holds Fire Prevention Week open house

If Villa Park firefighters had their way, they'd only see residents once a year during their Fire Prevention Week Open House.

It's not that they're anti-social or that they have anything against their neighbors, it's just that they'd prefer that no one's house or business ever caught fire.

That's not reality, of course, but it's one of the reasons why the department sponsored its annual open house Saturday: to give residents tips for avoiding fires, ideas for how to respond if a fire does break out, and the chance to see some of the equipment they use for battling such blazes.

The event at Fire Station 81 on Ardmore Avenue included a visit by Sparky the Fire Dog, a fire safety puppet show, a live fire demonstration and the chance to get a close-up look at some of the firefighting apparatus.