April 3, 2021, began as a normal day for Shirley and Bobby Spurgeon of Piedmont, SC. Shirley set her incense burner in their living room and walked away for just a moment which changed the course of their day and many that followed.

“I laid the tin [of incense] on the fireplace, it was an electric fireplace, and after I set it on there, I started to the bathroom. The smoke detectors started going off, and by the time I got back to the room, it was up in flames,” recalled Shirley.

Burning incense was a regular activity for Shirley, and she hadn’t thought twice about leaving the room after it was in the tin. However, she later recalled that the grate was plastic, and she believes that was why the incense had sparked a larger fire.

Thankfully, a neighbor heard the Spurgeons’ smoke detectors going off and ran over to help Shirley safely get out of the house using her fire escape plan. The neighbor’s quick reaction and the active smoke detectors helped save the Spurgeon’s lives.

Just a few years prior, on October 3, 2018, Red Cross volunteers and the South Greenville Fire Department installed five (5) smoke detectors inside the Spurgeons’ home and helped them create a fire escape plan as part of the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign.

“They walked me through the house and explained what they were doing as they were doing it. They installed one [smoke detector] in every room, over the bedroom door, and in the hall entrance. They made sure if anything happened, I would be alerted,” Shirley describes the gratitude she feels towards the volunteers and fire department who helped save her life.

To date, the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign has helped save a confirmed number of 106 lives in South Carolina and more than 1,200 across the country since the program’s launch in 2014.

Unfortunately, candles cause about 20 home fires a day in the U.S. To keep your family safe, consider using battery-operated candles or non-burning home deodorizers or fragrances. If you must use candles or incense, keep them away from anything that could burn, and place them out of reach of pets and children. Remember to never leave anything burning unattended.

Test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in two minutes or less. Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. You can also download our free Emergency app by searching “American Red Cross” in app stores.

RED CROSS MONTH: Every year, in the month of March, we recognize the compassionate actions of the more than 2,000 Red Cross volunteers, blood donors and community partners throughout South Carolina who help ensure that families and individuals never face crises alone. In 2021, the American Red Cross of South Carolina responded to nearly 1,600 local disasters, including home fires, assisting 5,277 people. The Red Cross mission wouldn’t be possible without these community heroes. You can join these local heroes in their commitment during our Red Cross Month celebration by visiting redcross.org to make a financial donation, schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets, become a Red Cross volunteer or take a class to learn lifesaving skills like CPR and first aid.