3 HOT Tips for Home Fire Safety

by Carmen Wright, volunteer contributor

Only you can prevent fires.
Home or wild.

Remember when the firemen came to talk to your class in kindergarten? Learning stop, drop, and roll? Watching Smokey the Bear ads on TV?  If you’re like me, that was probably the last time you thought about fire safety. 

Thankfully, there is a whole week devoted to Fire Prevention, and it’s here! 

While the wildfires in Colorado, California and even the plant explosion in West, Texas this summer may seem like they are a world away, home fires occur regularly in North Texas. In fact, the majority of Red Cross Disaster Relief responses are to fires. And while the Red Cross is always there to support you in such an emergency, we hope remembering and following these three tips will mean you’ll never need our help. 

SMOKE DETECTOR 

One of my least favorite sounds—besides my alarm going off at 6AM—is the incessant chirp of a smoke detector that needs new batteries. But it’s annoying for a reason! You either go crazy listening to the high pitched B E E P....B E E P...B E E P or you go check it out and make sure it’s working.  

Taking the time to make sure your smoke detector is functioning properly is a small sacrifice when you consider the money and trouble it can save you by alerting you to a fire. 

Fact: Almost two-thirds of home fire fatalities result from lack of a functioning smoke alarm. 

Did you know? Some fire departments offer reduced price or sometimes free smoke detectors, and they may even install it for you. 

ESCAPE PLAN

It’s important for you and everyone that lives with you to know how to get out in case of a fire. It may seem silly to go so far as to plan an escape from your own house, but in a real emergency, having a plan you can easily recall will be helpful when panic sets in. 

Planning an escape route is especially important for families with small kids, elderly family members, or relatives with disabilities. Make sure everyone knows where every door and window are located and make sure there are at least two escapes from every room. 

DRILLS

An escape plan is useless if you never practice it. In an emergency, you may panic, so its helpful if your mind and body have already gone through the process of escaping. Make sure you practice your plan at least twice a year and both in the day and at night. 

If you have pets, make sure to include them in the plan and drills by having leashes ready and practicing taking them out of the house. For more information on pet preparedness, visit the Red Cross page.

In a real fire, NEVER go back into a burning building for anything. Alert firefighters of any pets or people trapped inside, and they will conduct the rescue.

Celebrate Fire Prevention Week all year round by making your home fire safe and preparing your family for an emergency. 

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Frequently Asked Questions About Home Fires

Are home fires a big problem in the United States?
Sadly, yes. Last year, the Red Cross responded to more than 74,000 disasters, 93 percent of them were fire-related. This is a devastating fact since many home fires can be prevented.

Are home fires increasing?
Unfortunately, yes. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that residential fires across the country have increased 8 percent since 2000, and the average cost of damages from a home fire during 2006 was more than $17,000. The Red Cross response to home fires has increased as well, rising 10 percent since 2000.

When do home fires happen?
Home fires can happen at any time, but they generally increase during the fall and winter, with December and January being the peak months. Home fires are also more common on Saturday and Sunday, and tend to peak between 6:00 and 7:00 PM.

Where are home fires most likely to start?
Home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home. The second leading cause of home fires are heating sources like wood stoves, and fireplaces. Fires caused by smoking are the leading cause of deaths.

Who are affected by home fires?
Home fires don’t discriminate and can affect any home at any time. However, children under five and adults over 65 face the highest risk of dying in a home fire.

How can I prepare for a potential home fire?
Smoke alarms are a critical step in being prepared for a home fire. Smoke alarms should be installed outside each sleeping area and on each level of your home. If you and your family sleep with the doors closed, install smoke alarms inside sleeping areas, too.

My home has a smoke alarm, is that all I need to do?
No, to function properly, smoke alarms must be maintained. In 2005, the NFPA reported that 74 percent of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Once a month you should use the test button to check each smoke alarm. And at least once a year, all smoke alarm batteries should be replaced. In addition, smoke alarms can become less sensitive over time and should be replaced at least every 10 years.

If I have a fire extinguisher in my home, do I need training to use it?
Yes. Fire extinguishers are a great tool, but like any tool you need to learn how to use them properly and safely. Using a fire extinguisher on even small fires takes practice and quick thinking so there is not a delay in calling 9-1-1. The Red Cross suggests learning how to properly use fire extinguishers by contacting your local fire department to get training.

Why do I need a fire escape plan?
Fires can ignite very quickly and without warning, leaving you and your loved ones with little or no time to escape. By creating and practicing an escape plan, family members can save valuable time in the event of a fire by knowing exactly how to act.

How can I create a fire escape plan?
Begin by determining at least two ways to escape from every room of your home. For floors above ground level, escape ladders should be stored near the window. Also, make sure to select a central location at a safe distance from your home where family members can meet after escaping. After creating and discussing your plan with all members of your household, the Red Cross recommends that you practice your plan at least twice a year.

If a fire happens, can I go back into my home if I’ve forgotten something?
Once you are out of a burning home, stay out! Call the fire department from a neighbor’s home or cell phone.

What if my escape route is covered in smoke?
If you see smoke or fire in your first escape route, use your second way out. If you must exit through smoke, crawl low under the smoke. If you are escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second way out. If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Place a rolled towel underneath the door. Open the window- but do not break it. Signal for help waving a brightly colored cloth or shining a flashlight at the window. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department and tell them your exact location.

How can I help victims of home fires?
The number of families that the American Red Cross supports in the aftermath of home fires has increased 10 percent since 2000. Your local Red Cross chapter depends on the generous support of community members like you to help our neighbors affected by home fires. You can help victims of home fires by ensuring your local Red Cross is ready to respond. Contact your local Red Cross chapter to make a financial contribution today.

How can I learn more about fire preparedness?
Visit www.redcross.org/homefires or contact your local Red Cross chapter.

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Every 80 Seconds

Dallas firefighters on the scene of a 4-Alarm apartment fire in Cockrell Hill on May 29, 2010. More than 130 people were left homeless. (Photo by Allison Slomowitz/American Red Cross)

By Kristiana Kocis

Did you know that every 60 seconds*...

• More than 168 million emails are sent
• 695,000 status updates and 510,040 comments are published on Facebook
• Google serves more that 694,445 search queries
• More than 13,000 iPhone apps are downloaded
• 6,600 images are published on Flickr
• 600 videos (about 25 hours of content) are uploaded to YouTube

Seems impressive, but here’s another statistic: approximately every 80 seconds someone will lose their home to a fire. That’s more than 63,000 fires a year that Red Cross volunteers across the country will respond to.

October is National Fire Prevention Month, and our friends at the Chicago Red Cross has created a way for you to get a glimpse of what losing some of your cherished photo memories would feel like with their “Every 80 Seconds” campaign. With home fires, “things” can usually be replaced, but precious photos usually cannot. After you go through this, take a moment to make sure your home and family are Red Cross Ready.

*statistics from GeekTyrant.com

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Home Fire Victims Become Red Cross Volunteers

Carl Nappier received help from the Red Cross when fire destroyed his home. Now he helps others when disaster strikes.

Carl Nappier and Michelle Muth have gone from receiving American Red Cross help after losing their homes in fires to becoming very active volunteers.

October is Fire Prevention Month, a time to both recognize those who have offer help after fires – as well as to remind people to take steps now to help ensure fire does not strike their home.

Nappier’s home in Moniteau County, Missouri, was destroyed by fire in 2007. Red Cross volunteers from the Capital Area Chapter in Jefferson City responded and ensured Carl received the emergency help he needed to begin to rebuild his life.

In 2009, Nappier became a Red Cross disaster volunteer and began responding to numerous home fires within the chapter’s 21-county service area. He is now a national volunteer, deploying when disaster strikes across the United States. This year he has worked on five national disasters for a minimum of two weeks away from home, including traveling to the East Coast to help those affected by Hurricane Irene.

Michelle Muth never forgot how the Red Cross helped her and today helps others as a Red Cross volunteer.

Several years ago, Michelle Muth’s apartment was destroyed by fire. She awoke on a bitter cold morning to smoke and flames, fleeing her home with little or nothing. The Red Cross from the Nebraska-Southwest Iowa Regional Chapter was there with warm blankets, cups of hot coffee and words of sympathy and encouragement.

Over the years, Muth never forgot how the Red Cross helped her and decided it was time to give back. She became a disaster volunteer to help other victims learn they can rise from the ashes.

To help prevent a fire in your home, check each smoke alarm by pushing the test button at least once a month and replace batteries every year, or as needed. Fire escape plans should include at least two escape routes from every room in the home and a convenient meeting place at a safe distance from the home. Practice the escape plan at least twice a year and revise as necessary. Families are encouraged to pay particular attention to developing and regularly practicing escape plans for children and older adults.

Additional recommendations include:

• Keep matches and lighters away from and out of reach of children.
• Don’t leave the kitchen, and don’t leave the home while you’re frying, grilling or broiling food.
• Once you are out, stay out! Call the fire department from a neighbor’s home.

For more information on how to lessen the risk of a fire in your home, visit http://www.redcross.org/ for more steps you can take to remain safe.

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Home Fires Biggest Disaster Threat to Families in United States

Red Cross disaster relief volunteer Sharon Delmore (right) meets with Bobbie Bachan (left) after a fire disaster burned her house in Richfield, Minnesota, September 27, 2011. (Photo credit: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross)

The American Red Cross responded to more than 62,960 home fires during the 2011 fiscal year. House fires are the worst disaster threat to families in the United States. During Fire Prevention Month, the Red Cross encourages awareness of steps to take to prevent a house fire.

Home fires are devastating for the families involved, and the Red Cross lends a helping hand to those whose homes are affected. In East Providence, Rhode Island, 18 people were recently left homeless after fire destroyed their apartment building. In Hazleton, Pa., 17 people were forced out of their apartments when awakened by smoke and flames. In both instances, the Red Cross was on the scene.

To help avoid a fire in your home, there are steps you can take now:

• Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Talk to children regularly about the dangers of fire, matches and lighters and keep them out of reach.
• Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

Across the country, cooler weather is settling in and people are relying on alternative heating sources such as space heaters, fireplaces, wood or coal stoves to take the chill off their homes. Portable heaters and fireplaces should never be left unattended. Other safety steps when using alternative heating sources include:

• Keep all potential sources of fuel like paper, clothing, bedding or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, or fireplaces.
• Turn off space heaters and make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.
• Place space heaters on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
• When buying a space heater, look for models that shut off automatically if the heater falls over as another safety measure.
• Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
• Keep fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
• Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and furnaces professionally inspected and cleaned once a year.

During Fire Prevention Month, visit the Preparedness section of www.redcross.org for more steps to lessen the chance of a home fire.

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Help Save Lives with Red Cross Fire Safety Tips

Every 82 seconds a home fire breaks out, according to the National Fire Protection Agency. Fires can cause irreparable damage to homes and businesses displacing families and employees. Last year, the American Red Cross responded to 63,000 home fires across the country and provided comfort and basic necessities to those affected. This October 9-15 the Red Cross is helping families and businesses learn how to protect themselves and others from fires in observance of National Fire Prevention Week.

Here are steps you can take now to keep you and your family safe:

• Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Talk to children regularly about the dangers of fire, matches and lighters and keep them out of reach.
• Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

Cooking Safely

• Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Stay in the home while simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food. Check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that food is cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire—like pot holders, towels, plastic and clothing— away from the stove.
• Keep pets off cooking surfaces and countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.

Smoke Alarms

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
• Teach children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.
• Once a month check whether each alarm in the home is working properly by pushing the test button.
• Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year. Immediately install a new battery if an alarm chirps, warning the battery is low.
• Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Never disable smoke or carbon monoxide alarms.
• Carbon monoxide alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.

Fire Escape Planning

• Ensure that all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home.
• Make sure everyone knows where to meet outside in case of fire.
• Practice escaping from your home at least twice a year and at different times of the day. Practice waking up to smoke alarms, low crawling and meeting outside. Make sure everyone knows how to call 9-1-1.
• Teach household members to STOP, DROP and ROLL if their clothes should catch on fire.

Business, too, should be prepared. Fire is the most common of all business disasters. Companies, schools and other organizations can learn how to prepare for fires and other emergencies by becoming a member of the Red Cross Ready Rating™ Program at http://www.readyrating.org/. Complete a free, online assessment of your current readiness level and receive customized feedback with tips to improve preparedness.

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