Hundreds turnout for fire safety festival

Six area fire stations including Gulf Breeze, Midway, Holley-Navarre, Navarre Beach, U.S. Air Force and Florosa, donated their time – and equipment for display – at the second annual Fall Fire Prevention Festival and Chili Cook-off at Navarre Park Saturday.

The festival celebrates National Fire Prevention week, which is the first week of October. The designation stems from the Great Chicago Fire on Oct. 9, 1871. Awareness is drawn to the necessity of working fire alarms in both residential and commercial buildings.

Many watched as new recruits from Midway's fire academy demoed how firefighters cut through a car to relieve a trapped passenger.

Starr's Automotive took first place in the chili cook-off, while members of the Eglin Federal Credit Union won second and the Holley-Navarre Professional Firefighter's Union Local 4695 won third place.

For more on this story, see the Oct. 7 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.