Red Cross urges safe home heating as winter fire risk remains high

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In December alone, Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) members responded to nearly 6,000 home fires, working alongside local fire departments to provide assistance to more than 23,000 people across the country. (Photo: American Red Cross of North Carolina)

Red Cross Disaster Action Team responds to a home fire

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In December alone, Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) members responded to nearly 6,000 home fires, providing assistance to more than 23,000 people across the country. (Photo: American Red Cross of North Carolina)

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In December alone, Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) members responded to nearly 6,000 home fires, providing assistance to more than 23,000 people across the country. (Photo: American Red Cross of North Carolina)

January 14, 2026

As winter weather continues across the country, the American Red Cross urges families to take steps to heat their homes safely.

About 165 times each day, Red Cross workers help a family affected by a disaster. Most of those disasters are home fires and responses typically spike by nearly 20% in winter months, when fire risks increase due to cooking and heating. In December alone, the Red Cross responded to nearly 6,000 home fires, providing assistance to more than 23,000 people across the country.

“Home fires are the most frequent disaster we respond to, and the risk increases during the winter months when families rely more heavily on alternative ways to heat their homes,” said Jennifer Pipa, Vice President of Disaster Programs for the American Red Cross. “These fires can be devastating but many are preventable. Taking simple safety steps can save lives.”

How to Safely Heat Your Home

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), space heaters are most often responsible for home heating fires. Follow these tips on how to safely heat your home:

If you must use a space heater, never leave it unattended.
Place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets, or near bedding and drapes.
Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets.
Never plug them into an extension cord. Turn the space heater off every time you leave the room or go to sleep
Keep children, pets and anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment.
Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
Never leave a fire burning in the fireplace unattended.
Make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep embers in the fireplace.
Have furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves inspected annually by a professional and cleaned if necessary.

Preventing Home Fire Tragedies

The American Red Cross Disaster Action Team program, or DAT, has provided hope, comfort and essential services to people impacted by disaster for more than 60 years. A key part of the Red Cross mission, DAT seeks to eliminate human suffering by providing a crucial link between first responders and community members during local disasters like a home fires – helping an average of 175 families every day.

Learn more about how your family can prevent home fires, escape from a home fire in 2 minutes, and recover after a home fire here.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.