DETROIT (April 23, 2025) – Every second counts when there’s a home fire. You and your family have only two minutes to escape to safety because of how fast a fire can engulf a home.
Having working smoke alarms in your home can reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by half.
To raise awareness about home fire safety, the American Red Cross will hold its annual Sound the Alarm initiative April 26 – May 17. During this stretch, Red Cross volunteers and its community partners will install free smoke alarms and help families create a fire escape plan in communities across Michigan.
“Most people don’t realize how fast a fire can engulf a home. Having working smoke alarms can be lifesaving,” said Latoysa “Toy” Rooks, regional disaster officer of the Red Cross Michigan Region.
As a lead-in to Sound the Alarm, the Red Cross teamed up with the Farmington Hills Fire Department on Wednesday to raise awareness about home fire safety and having working smoke alarms in the home. The fire department also conducted a live controlled burn of a living room setting to demonstrate how rapidly fire spreads.
Sound the Alarm is part of the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross developed in October 2014 to reduce fire-related injuries and fatalities by installing free smoke alarms and teaching families about home fire safety. Nationally, the Red Cross has installed more than 3 million smoke alarms. This critical work is made possible with the support of its partners.
To date, the Red Cross has installed more than 86,000 smoke alarms and made more than 33,500 households safer in communities across the state since 2014.
The Red Cross installs traditional smoke alarms with the high-pitch sound, as well as devices that vibrate and flash bright lights and alert family members who are deaf or hard of hearing.
While Sound the Alarm is for a specific time period, the Red Cross installs smoke alarms year-round.
The Red Cross responds to about 65,000 disasters a year nationally. “The majority of these disasters are home fires,” Rooks said. Home fires are the most frequent disaster in the United States.
Statewide, the Red Cross has responded to more than 550 home fires so far in 2025 and provided assistance to more than 2,000 individuals who were impacted or displaced. Of those 550 home fires, about half occurred in Southeast Michigan.
When there’s a home fire, the Red Cross works with fire departments to connect with families and provide assistance to everyone who needs it as part of its humanitarian mission. This assistance may include:
This assistance is based on the individual needs of those who are impacted.
Thanks to donations, Red Cross services are free and available to those in need, Rooks said.
People who need assistance for a smoke alarm installation or wish to help us during Sound the Alarm, may call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit SoundTheAlarm.org/Michigan.
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MEDIA CONTACT: David Olejarz / david.olejarz@redcross.org / 313-303-0606
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.
