HONOLULU, OCTOBER 09, 2025 — During Fire Prevention Week (October 5-11), the American Red Cross of Hawaii reminds everyone of the dangers of home fires, which claim seven lives every day in the U.S. 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 can occur any time, any place,” said Molly Schmidt, CEO of the American Red Cross, Pacific Islands Region. “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.”

Tips for creating your home fire escape plan and practicing your 2-minute drill:

• Everyone in your household should know two ways to escape from each room in your home.
• Smoke is dangerous. Get low and go!
• Decide where to meet once you get outside. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as a neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree across the street, where everyone knows to meet.
• Get out and stay out. Never go back inside for people, pets or things.
• If a fire starts, you may have less than two minutes to get to safety. Time your fire drill and find out: what’s your escape time?
• While practicing your escape plan, teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and practice with your kupuna safe ways to escape. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.

Smoke alarm safety:

• Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside or 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 need to be replaced because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Contact Red Cross for free smoke alarm replacement.

Local Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers provide emotional support, assistance, and information to help families begin the process of recovery. Most of the 65,000 emergencies that the Red Cross responds to nationally each year are home fires. So far in 2025 alone, local Red Cross Disaster Action teams have responded to more than 85 home fires and installed over 400 new smoke alarms throughout Hawaii.

For emergencies like home fires, our volunteers provide comfort during what can be the worst days of people’s lives. Learn how you can volunteer for our Disaster Action Team at redcross.org/DAT.

• SIGN UP FOR A FREE SMOKE ALARM: Visit www.redcross.org/hawaii for a free smoke alarm installation.
• DONATE: Thanks to donations, our services are free and available for all those in need. Help families prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires by giving at SoundTheAlarm.org or texting the word HOMEFIRE to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVE LIVES Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, working with community partners, has saved at least 2,479 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires. 

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; 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 www.redcross.org/hawaii or visit us on X, Facebook, or Instagram at @HawaiiRedCross.