Kenbridge Fire Department is set to hold its annual Open House Sunday from noon-3 p.m. in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, which began Sunday, Oct. 7.

The event, Chief Richard “Dickie” Harris said, provides an opportunity for children and families to better understand how to keep their homes safe, interact with firefighters and learn more about the department.

The department will even be simulating a fire at the fire station and showing children how the members of the fire department use the hoses to douse the fires.

“We hope the public will be able to come by and see our facilities and see the equipment that we have, meet some of the firemen they may or may not know, a general open house,” Harris said. “We do it every year, and citizens seem to enjoy it.”

Harris said the simulation is not a real fire.

“We have a big piece of plywood and it’s got an insert that goes in it,” Harris said. “The insert moves, and painted on the insert looks like flames, and we use that in the plywood demonstration, and it’s painted out to make it look like a fire, and I think the kids seem to get a lot out of it.”

During the week, the fire department is also set to bring firetrucks to area schools to teach children about fire prevention techniques and how to respond if a fire takes place, “while we’ve got their undivided attention,” Harris said.

Harris said the department has not had citizens ask about the department’s recent decision to begin billing insurance companies of clients in the event of vehicle accidents, or homeowners in the event of house fires.

This decision to bill was approved by the Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors during the board’s September meeting.

Harris said homeowners can choose to allow their home insurance to cover the cost of the fire. He said he expects the billing process to begin in the next month or so.