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Home Fire Disasters More Common than Most Think
Red Cross Stresses Prevention and Preparing during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8-14
Carrie Housman, Special to Redcross.org
Monday, October 09, 2006 — Fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined. Unfortunately, according to a poll by the American Red Cross, four out of five Americans are unaware that fires are the most common disaster in the U.S. and only 26 percent of households have a home fire escape plan.
Fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and yet four out of five Americans are unaware that fires are the most common disaster in the U.S. and only one in four (26 percent) households have a home fire escape plan.
(Photo Credit: Stock/American Red Cross) |
During Fire Prevention Week, October 8-14, the Red Cross is urging the public to take advantage of the many free resources available to develop a home fire escape plan and to take steps toward fire prevention and safety.
The theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week, sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is “Prevent Cooking Fires – Watch What You Heat.” According to the NFPA, home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room of the home, and the leading cause of home cooking fires is unattended cooking.
To prevent kitchen fires, the Red Cross recommends that you keep all potential fuel sources, including potential flammables such as potholders and food wrappers, at least three feet away from heat sources while cooking. In addition, turn off stoves and ranges when leaving the kitchen.
“Preparing for a home fire doesn’t require a lot of expensive equipment or training, and Fire Prevention Week is a great time for families to plan for a potential fire,” said Red Cross fire safety expert Heidi Taylor. “In addition to smoke alarms, one of the easiest ways you can prepare is to develop and practice a home fire escape plan so that every family member can escape quickly and safely.”
People are encouraged to pay particular attention to developing and regularly practicing escape plans for children and the elderly because of their increased risk of injury or death from a fire. According to the NFPA, children and adults 65 and older are twice as likely to die in a home fire as the American population at large. Remember to plan for the safe evacuation of pets and service animals as well.
Simple Steps to Prevent Fires
- Keep all sources of fuel (paper, clothing, bedding and carpets or rugs) at least three feet away from all heat sources when cooking, or using alternative heating like a space heater.
- Provide constant adult supervision during cooking or in rooms with lit candles or fires. Do not leave burning candles unattended.
- Keep matches and lighters away and out of reach of children.
- Teach young children to tell an adult if they see matches and lighters and not to touch them.
- Teach adolescents to resist peer pressure and not to play with fire if curious or bored.
Household fire extinguishers are available at local home improvement stores and other retailers. (Photo Credit: Stock/American Red Cross)
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Simple Steps to Make Your Home Safer
- Smoke alarms can help save lives. Install a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of your home. Test smoke alarms once a month, and replace batteries when necessary—replacing all batteries at least once a year.
- Consider having one or more working fire extinguishers in your home. Get training from the fire department in proper use of your extinguishers.
- Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your home.
- Determine at least two ways to escape from every room of your home. Consider escape ladders for sleeping areas on the second or third floors.
- Select a location outside your home where everyone would meet after evacuating.
- Practice your plan, especially with children, older adults, people with disabilities and pets, at least twice a year and revise as necessary.
Safety Tips during a Home Fire
- A fire escape plan needs to include at least two escape routes for every room in the home and a convenient meeting place at a safe distance.
- Once you are out, stay out. Call the fire department from a neighbor’s home.
- If you see smoke or fire in your first escape route, use your second way out. If you must exit through smoke, crawl low under the smoke to your exit. If you are escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If the door is warm, use your second way out.
- If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Signal for help using a brightly colored cloth at the window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and tell them where you are.
During the month of October, the Red Cross is partnering with The Home Depot to host Family Fire Safety Clinics. These educational and even entertaining clinics will be offered at every The Home Depot store nationwide at 10:00 a.m. local time on each Saturday during the month of October. For more information on the clinics, visit The Home Depot Web site (http://www.homedepotclinics.com).
Last year the Red Cross responded to some 67,000 fires, providing immediate emergency assistance to fire victims. Through the generosity of their donors, local Red Cross chapters provide assistance for food, clothing, prescription medications, temporary shelter and other special needs affected families might have.
For more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information, visit the “Get Prepared” section of Redcross.org or contact your local Red Cross chapter.
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
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