Red Cross Survey: 2 in 5 People Say They’re More Likely
to Win the Lottery than Lose Their Home in a Fire
Local Red Cross Responded to 803 Home Fires Last Year,
Seeks Volunteers to Install 1,700 Free Smoke Alarms for Local Families
DENVER, COLORADO, APRIL 15, 2019 — A new national American Red Cross survey shows that roughly two in five people think it’s more likely that they’ll win the lottery than lose their home in a fire. But the real chance is greater of dying from exposure to fire or smoke (nearly one in 1,500), compared to winning the lottery (typically one in millions).
In the Colorado and Wyoming Region the American Red Cross responded to 803 home fires in 2018. So far this year, local Red Cross volunteers have helped 2,729 people recover from these emergencies—which are the nation’s most frequent disaster and kill an average of seven people each day.
“Home fires can happen to anyone, and sadly, these crises can be caused by everyday activities like cooking a meal at home,” said, Gino Greco, CEO of American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming. “To protect your family, please check your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan together.”
96 PERCENT ENGAGED IN FIRE-RISK ACTIVITIES Almost all people surveyed said they’ve engaged in ordinary activities that are among the leading causes of home fires. For example:
· More than 70 percent of people said they’ve left the kitchen while cooking on the stove.
· Nearly three in five adults have walked away from their grill while cooking.
· Nearly one-third of people left the room or fell asleep while burning candles.
To help stay safe, the Red Cross urges everyone to always supervise cooking equipment and candles, and follow additional safety tips at redcross.org/homefires. For more information about the national survey, see this video and infographic.
JOIN US TO #ENDHOMEFIRES Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half, yet one in 10 adults reported not purchasing an alarm because of the expense. In addition, nearly half of those surveyed said they’ve disconnected an alarm or taken the batteries out when it went off.
That’s why the American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming is seeking volunteers for the upcoming Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events below. People can register now at www.redcross.org/COWSTA2019 to help install free smoke alarms and raise funds for lifesaving services.
· Saturday, April 27, 8:30am - Lakewood, CO
· Saturday, April 27, 9:00am - Grand Junction, CO
· Saturday, April 27, 9:00am - Fort Collins, CO
· Saturday, April 27, 8:15am - Rawlins, WY
· Sunday, April 28, 9:00am - Fountain, CO
· Saturday, May 4, 8:30am - Aurora, CO
· Saturday, May 4, 9:00am - Leadville, CO
· Friday, May 10, 8:00am - Colorado Springs, CO
· Saturday, May 11, 8:30am - Globeville, Swansea-Elyria Neighborhoods, Denver, CO **SIGNATURE EVENT** Rally starts at 8:30 a.m.
· Saturday, May 11, 9:00am - Canon City, CO
· Saturday, May 11, 9:00am - Cortez, CO
· Saturday, May 11, 8:30am - Casper, WY
Sound the Alarm events are part of the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross launched in 2014 to reduce fire deaths and injuries. So far, nationwide, it has reached more than 1.7 million people and saved more than 500 lives.
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from our regional partner, Suncor.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS HOME FIRE SAFETY SURVEY The national public opinion survey was conducted for the Red Cross from January 31 to February 3, 2019 using Engine’s Online CARAVAN Omnibus Survey. The study was conducted among a national sample of 1,003 adults, ages 18 or older living in U.S. states. The total sample is balanced to be representative of the U.S. adult population in terms of age, sex, geographic region, race and education. The margin of error for the total sample of 1,003 adults is +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
