Today marks the official start of National Fire Safety Week. The North Mankato fire department hosted a fire prevention open house to kick things off. Families were invited to the firehouse to learn about fire safety in creative ways. The fire department showed house fire simulator along with a junior firefighter combat challenge and other simulated activities. “Today gives us a great opportunity to get both the parents and children together to talk about what to do in a home setting in an emergency situation – how should the children react? Where do they need to go in case of emergency? How are they going to get out of a residence? All important things to make sure to involve both parents and students,” assistant fire chief Dan Giefer said. Fire departments across the area are hosting events this week to promote fire safety.