A fire in the home is the biggest disaster threat to American families, more of a risk than floods, hurricanes or tornadoes. The American Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes and nearly all of these are home fires.
“Home fires can be a deadly threat because they happen so quickly,” said Adrian Grieve, Regional Disaster and Program Officer. “We urge everyone to become aware of what they should do to prevent a fire in their home.”
The NEPA Region responded to responded to over 500 disasters, most of which were home fires. The Red Cross urges people to know what steps they can take to help prevent fires.
Fortunately, most home fires can be prevented. Homeowners should avoid using items that can be hazardous such as candles and space heaters – common items that can turn dangerous very quickly.
To help avoid a fire in the home, there are steps someone can take now:
* Install smoke alarms on every level of the home and outside each sleeping area, placing them on the ceiling or high on the wall.
* Put a smoke alarm inside every bedroom.
* Test the smoke alarms regularly. Install new batteries every year.
* Get new smoke alarms every ten years.
* Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as sources of heat or stoves.
* Never smoke in bed.* Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to sleep.
MAKE A PLAN: You may only have two minutes to escape when a fire occurs, but most people mistakenly believe they have more than twice as long to get out. The Red Cross recommends that households develop a fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year with everyone who lives in the home. People should know two ways to escape from every room and designate a safe place to meet outside the home in case of a fire. Discuss the plan with everyone in the household and practice until every member of your household – including children – can escape in less than two minutes
People can also download the Red Cross First Aid App to get access to life-saving information on what to do for common, everyday first aid emergencies including burns. The app has a Spanish language toggle switch and can be downloaded by visiting redcross.org/apps.