Fire Prevention Week Is October 8-14th
Protect Your Family From The Most Common Disaster In The Country

67,000 Home Fires Injure 20,000 People in the United States Each Year

WASHINGTON, Thursday, September 28, 2006 —

RADIO INTERVIEWS WITH:
RED CROSS SPOKESPERSON CAROL YELVERTON
THURSDAY OCTOBER 5, 2006 7:30-10:30 AM ET

Fire Prevention Week is October 8-14th and the American Red Cross is urging families to prepare for home fires, the most common disaster in the United States. A home fire can be devastating, with consequences ranging from losing possessions and keepsakes to the unthinkable - injury or death of a family member. The theme of this year's Fire Prevention Week is "Prevent Cooking Fires—Watch What You Heat." Home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home.

According to a recent poll from the Red Cross, four out of five Americans are unaware that home fires are as common as they are. The American Red Cross responded to more than 73,000 disasters in communities across the United States last year, 92 percent of which were fire related. A home fire is reported every 79 seconds in the US. What's more, the Red Cross also found the only about a quar-ter of the families polled have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.

While many people believe "it won't happen to them" the statistics don't lie: someone is killed every 135 minutes and 20,000 people are injured each year in home fires. Demographically speaking, Afri-can Americans are disproportionately affected by home fires, accounting for 25 percent of all fires but less than 13 percent of the population. Of particular note, children under five and adults over 65 years of age are twice as likely to die in the event of a home fire than the population at large.

Red Cross spokesperson Carol Yelverton, is available to talk to your listeners about the importance of fire safety and how they can use Fire Prevention Week to take actions to make sure their families are prepared in the event of a home fire. Carol can also speak to her own experience of dealing with a home fire.

? How common are home fires? What are some of the most common causes?
? We all think it can't happen to us, how can we take steps to prevent fires?
? How can we talk to our kids about fire safety without scaring them?
? What are simple steps people can take to prepare for a home fire?
? Where can we go for more tips?