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Residential Fires Sky-Rocket in Winter Months
Written by
Bonnie Gillespie
, Staff Writer, Redcross.org
Friday, January 23, 2004 — The sound of distant screaming startled Tyece Dyake from a deep sleep in the early hours of a frigid January morning. But before her eyes could fully focus in the dim light, she felt her daughter’s tiny hand nudging her arm.
Residential fires occur every 79 seconds, and local Red Cross volunteers across the country are first responders on the scene, meeting the needs of fire victims and emergency personnel. |
“Mommy, Mommy, they’re saying fire.”
Springing from her bed, Dyake gasped, realizing her third-floor apartment was drenched in a thin haze of smoke. She whisked her child into her arms and ran for the fire-escape.
Dyake and other residents fleeing the five-story Harlem apartment building escaped the inferno inside but were soon engulfed by bone-chilling winds out on the icy street. Temperatures hovered in the single digits, and barefooted evacuees huddled together, watching helplessly as fire-fighters battled to keep the blaze at bay.
When the smoke finally cleared, the remainder of the city block was spared, but one elderly resident perished in the blaze and nine others were injured.
Exhausted and traumatized, evacuees turned to Red Cross volunteers from the Greater New York chapter who provided comfort, clothing, hot drinks, food and a safe place to stay for the dozens of displaced fire victims.
Startling Statistics, Committed Response
Residential fires occur every 79 seconds, and local Red Cross volunteers across the country are first responders on the scene, meeting the needs of fire victims and emergency personnel. Fire frequency soars during the winter months, according to the National Fire Protection Association, with four out of seven home fires occurring during December, January and February. About half of these fires are caused by using candles and overloading electrical circuits.
“Ninety-three percent of Red Cross responses are for home fires, which are one of the few preventable emergencies,” said Kelly Donaghy, with the American Red Cross. “Just by taking simple preparedness steps, you can save your home, or even your family.”
Nearly 5,000 Americans die each year in fires, and 80 percent of those deaths result from home fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). Urban areas, where homes are tightly packed and sometimes do not meet modern fire codes, are worst affected.
In a single year, Red Cross workers in Boston responded to more than 50 fires in two weeks — between December 20 and January 2. Approximately 350 people were displaced and needed Red Cross assistance with temporary housing, new clothing and food.
Nearly 5,000 Americans die each year in fires, and 80 percent of those deaths result from home fires.
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Many Red Cross chapters have even established relationships with local fire departments, which have a staff member contact the Red Cross as soon as they are en route to the scene of a blaze.
The Red Cross often provides both immediate and longer-term assistance to fire victims. Each chapter has a budget set aside specifically for local disasters, and they draw from this to provide vouchers for food, clothing, prescriptions, temporary shelter, and any other special needs an affected family might have.
Trained Red Cross mental-health counselors can also help families who are struggling to recover emotionally. Even in the absence of death or injury, a home fire can be devastating — particularly for the elderly, who may have lived in a home for decades, or for young children, who have lost the safe familiarity of toys, clothes and rooms and may be confused by the distraught adults around them.
Since fire kills more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined, the Red Cross continues to urge Americans to prepare their families by developing an emergency evacuation plan and taking steps against toward fire preparedness and response. For more information on fire safety, please visit the Red Cross Disaster Services residential fire safety page.
You can also help the victims of residential fires and thousands of disasters across the country each year by contributing to our Disaster Relief Fund. Donate online or call toll free 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-257-7575 for Spanish speakers) or you can mail in your gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
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