American Red Cross volunteers with the Disaster Action Team were busy responding to four home fires in Northwest Illinois from January 11 through today. Our volunteers helped 18 people in Polo, Poplar Grove and Rockford. Sadly, one of these incidents resulted in the loss of life.

The Red Cross provided temporary housing, health and mental health services, financial assistance, and information about recovery planning to 14 adults and four children impacted by these incidents.

If you need assistance after a home fire or disaster, please call our dispatch line: 1-877-597-0747.

During the winter months, as the weather gets colder, we see an increase in home fires. Every second counts when there is a home fire. A fire can take a home in as little as two minutes. Therefore, escaping in less than two minutes can be the difference between survival and tragedy. The Red Cross encourages everyone to talk to their children about fire safety to help families stay safe. We want to ensure families and children are prepared.

TWO STEPS TO PREVENT FIRE TRAGEDIES To help protect your family year-round, test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes.

Nearly all of us have engaged in ordinary activities that can cause home fires – from walking out of the kitchen while cooking to leaving burning candles unattended. The Red Cross urges everyone to be cautious while heating their homes. A 2020 national Red Cross survey showed than more than half of us have used a space heater – which is involved in most fatal home heating fires. Provide at least three feet of space for all heating equipment, and never leave space heaters unattended.

Follow these additional tips on HOW TO HEAT YOUR HOME:

• If you must use a space heater, 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; keep away children and pets.
• Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets – never into an extension cord. Turn it off every time you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
• Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep fire and embers in the fireplace.
• Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces and chimneys inspected annually by a professional and cleaned if necessary.

In addition, if you live in an apartment building, it’s also  important that you have an escape plan and working smoke alarms in your unit.

HOW TO STAY SAFE Residents can follow these tips to help stay safe:

• Learn the building’s fire safety features, including fire alarms, sprinklers and evacuation plans.
• Make sure all exits are clearly marked and not blocked.
• Know locations of all available exit stairwells, as one or more of the exits might be blocked by fire.
• Individuals with access or functional needs, including a disability, should learn where the closest area of safe refuge is.
• Identify a meeting place for members of your household that is outside and away from the building.
• Talk to your apartment management if you have concerns about alarms or sprinklers in your unit.
• If smoke of fire enters your unit and you cannot immediately escape, call 9-1-1 to report your location. Open a window slightly; wave a bright cloth or a light at night to identify your location. If smoke enters the unit, stay low to the floor to breathe the best air.

For free home fire safety resources, including an escape plan, visit redcross.org/fire or download the free Red Cross Emergency App. In addition, the free Monster Guard app reaches children how to prepare for emergencies by playing an engaging game. Download the apps by searching “American Red Cross” in app stores or going to redcross.org/apps.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. On this day, consider becoming a Red Cross volunteer. Your support makes our humanitarian mission possible. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to learn more, including our most-needed volunteer positions with COVID-19 safety precautions in place:

Blood donor ambassadors and transportation specialists: Blood donations are essential for the health of our communities, and blood donor ambassadors are a vital part of this work by welcoming visitors and taking their temperatures before entering Red Cross facilities and blood drives. Visitors could include potential blood donors, people seeking help, training course participants, and Red Cross employees and volunteers. We also have a high priority need for transportation specialists to help deliver blood from our facilities to local hospitals.

Disaster Action Team: Everyday people are forced from their homes due to fires, storms and other disasters. Join the team that responds to more than 60,000 emergencies every year – the vast majority of which are home fires. Our volunteers help families with their immediate needs, ensuring they don’t face tough times alone. If you are team-oriented and want to make a difference, please consider joining the Disaster Action Team and apply now. We supply all the training you need.

Volunteer from home (other virtual positions): Help from the comfort of your own home through a wide range of virtual opportunities. Learn more.

Donate Blood - To help encourage those who have recovered from COVID-19 to give as well as other blood donors to help patients in need, the Red Cross has teamed up with the NFL to tackle the needs of patients and thank them during National Blood Donor Month. Please consider donating in the month of January in honor of MLK Day of Service!  If you are eligible and feel well, visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment.

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 Twitter @RedCrossIL.