KENAI, Alaska, January 27, 2020 – As the cold weather continues to creep into every part of the state, the risk of deadly home fires increases across Alaska. Heating equipment is the second most common cause of home fire fatalities, which on average take seven lives every day in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association. Working smoke alarms can double a person’s odds of survival in a home fire.

As such, the American Red Cross of Alaska serving the Kenai Peninsula asks everyone to take these three simple steps to stay safe:

• Check smoke alarm batteries. Take a few minutes each month to test smoke alarms by pushing the test button. Replace batteries in alarms, if needed.
• Install smoke alarms. At a minimum, working smoke alarms should be on every level of a home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. For those that need them, the Red Cross will provide 10-year lithium battery smoke alarms, free of charge. Call 907-232 2698 to schedule an appointment and a team of friendly Red Cross volunteers will install the free alarms.
• Practice an escape plan. Make sure everyone in the household knows two ways to get out of every room and how to get out of the home in less than two minutes.

AMERICAN RED CROSS OF ALASKA HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN

Every eight minutes, the Red Cross responds to a disaster, the vast majority of which are home fires. Through the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross of Alaska works with community partners to help reduce deaths and injuries from home fires, which take more lives each year than all other natural disasters combined in the U.S. In Alaskan communities and across the country, Red Cross volunteers and partners go door-to-door year-round to install free smoke alarms and help residents create home fire escape plans.  

In the last year alone, the Red Cross of Alaska has reached thousands of Alaskans across the state by:

• Installing over 2,170 free smoke alarms 
• Helping more than 670 households create home fire escape plans
• Reaching more than 1,400 children through youth preparedness programs

Visit redcross.org/homefires to learn more about home fire preparedness or call the Red Cross of Alaska Kenai Peninsula volunteer team at 907-232-2698 to request an installation appointment for free smoke alarms.  

About the American Red Cross of Alaska:

In Fiscal Year 2019, the American Red Cross of Alaska responded to 435 disasters by offering food, shelter, relief supplies, comfort, hope and recovery services to 1,096 Alaskans in 50 communities statewide. Our preparedness teams installed 2,171 free smoke alarms and educated 1,409 youth through The Pillowcase Project. Our Training Services department enrolled 19,665 students in first aid/CPR/AED, aquatics and caregiving classes. Our Service to the Armed Forces staff exchanged 1,299 emergency messages for U.S. military service personnel and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. In Fiscal Year 2019, our statewide workforce of 729 volunteers logged 40,735 hours in service to our mission and their fellow Alaskans. For more information, please visit redcross.org/Alaska or visit us on Twitter at @redcrossak.

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