Red Cross volunteers responded to twenty home fires Chicago, Calumet City, Franklin Park, Lansing, Addison, Ford Heights, Sauk Village, Homewood, and Oglesby in the past week.
Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers provided assistance to 55 people, including 17 children, by supplying them with items to meet immediate needs after a fire and additional support in the form of health and mental health services and one-on-one support as the families involved work through next steps after experiencing a home fire.
If you or someone you know needs assistance after a home fire or local disaster, please call our dispatch line: (800) Red Cross (800-733-2767).
Visit redcross.org/fire for more information. Download our free Emergency app by searching for “American Red Cross” in app stores. Free resources are available to help children learn what to do during a home fire and other emergencies.
The Red Cross responds to 60,000 disasters a year — and the vast majority of these are home fires. For disasters big and small, our volunteers provide comfort during what can be the worst days of people’s lives. Learn how you can volunteer or donate at redcross.org.
Steps to Help You Stay Safe this Summer
As we all head outside to enjoy the sunshine and warm weather this summer, the American Red Cross offers 20 steps you can follow to help keep you safe.
Do your plans include a road trip? With more people on the roads, it’s important to drive safely.
Drowning can happen quickly and silently. Unless rescued, it could take as little as 20 to 60 seconds for a drowning person to submerge.
Summer is a great time for a picnic. But be careful grilling, which causes 10,000 home fires every year.
Camping is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the U.S. But being prepared for emergencies is critical when you’re headed to an area with limited access to phone services and help.
Find more safety information here.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.