Media Contact: Asher Furedy
(480) 997-9704 | aznmmedia@redcross.org

[Phoenix, ARIZ, May 8, 2026] — The Central AZ Chapter of the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team Volunteers have responded to their second apartment fire in two days. They responded this evening to an apartment fire near W.Ocotillo Rd., and the Black Cyn Freeway in Phoenix. The Disaster Volunteers will provide emergency assistance as needed to those families/individuals displaced as well as their pets.

GENERAL HOME FIRE SAFETY

• Every second counts when there’s a home fire. To help protect your household, test your smoke alarms each month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.
• Home fires are so dangerous that they claim more lives in a typical year than all natural disasters combined.
• But working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half.
• The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. This is critical because fire experts say you may have less than two minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late.
• Fires now travel faster through homes, largely due to popular open-concept layouts and synthetic materials. Synthetics burn more rapidly than hardwood and cotton, which were more common in older homes that typically had more walls and doors, lower ceilings, and narrower hallways that help confine fires. To create your home fire escape plan, include at least two ways to exit each room.
• Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or a landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
• Take time to discuss the plan with everyone in your household, and practice it at least twice a year. While practicing your escape plan, teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.
• Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
• In addition to testing your alarms once a month, change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.
• Also check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they likely need to be replaced because components such as batteries can become less reliable. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer's instructions.

Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including a home fire escape plan to create and practice with your household.

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.