Red Cross Offers Safety Tips Following Steep Increase in Local Home Fires

(The following information was provided by the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania.)

Over the past month, the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania has responded to 74 home fires, which have affected 97 local families. In fact, Red Cross volunteers have provided emergency assistance for 296 people just over the past 30 days.

“Every second counts when there’s a home fire. Escaping in less than two minutes can be the difference between survival and tragedy,” said Guy Triano, Regional CEO for the American Red Cross.

“Smoke alarms save lives by cutting the risk of dying in a home fire by half. Test your smoke alarms every month and practice your escape plan with your entire family – including children and pets.”

Heating equipment, cooking and holiday decorations – especially candles – are the leading causes of home fires this holiday season. The Red Cross offers safety tips to keep you and your family safe and you celebrate the holidays and ring in the new year.

Stay Warm and Safe

Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fire deaths, with most occurring from space heaters. Overall, home fires account for most of the 60,000-plus disasters that the Red Cross responds to each year across the U.S. — where home fire responses are 30% higher during cold months than warmer times of year. If you must use a space heater, be sure to provide at least three feet of empty space around it, and never leave space heaters unattended.

Follow these additional tips:

• Place your space heater on a hard and nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor, and not on rugs and carpets or near bedding and drapes. Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets, never into an extension cord, and turn it off every time you leave the room or go to sleep. 
• Never, under any circumstances, use a cooking range or oven to heat your home. 
• Never leave a fire burning in the fireplace unattended. Make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep embers in the fireplace. 

Deck Your Halls Safely

Candles are very popular, especially around the holidays, so it makes sense that December is the peak month for home candle fires. Candles cause about 20 home fires a day in the U.S. If you’re decorating with candles this holiday season, consider using the battery-operated kind. If you must use flame candles, keep them away from anything that can burn, and place them out of reach of pets and children. Most importantly, never leave burning candles unattended. Take these additional steps to deck your halls safely: 

• Check all holiday light cords to ensure they aren’t frayed or broken. Don’t string too many strands of lights together (no more than three per extension cord) and turn off all holiday lights when going to bed or leaving the house. 
• If you buy artificial tree, look for the fire-resistant label, and put it up away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat. Never use electric lights on metallic trees.
• If you get a live tree, make sure it’s fresh and keep it watered. To test if the tree is fresh, bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles fall off. 
• Don’t light the fireplace if you have stockings or other decorations handing your mantle. 

Keep an Eye on What You Fry

Many of us do extra cooking during the holiday season. Cooking is the top cause of all reported home fires in the U.S. The easiest way to prevent kitchen fires is to keep an eye on what you fry, that is, never leave cooking food unattended. If you need to leave the kitchen, even for a moment, turn off the stove. Here’s some additional tips: 

• Move items that can burn, like dishtowels, bags, boxes, paper and curtains, away from the stove, and keep children and pets at least three feet away. 

• Keep a pan lid or a cookie sheet nearby and use them to cover a pan if it catches on fire. If a fire starts in your oven, keep the door shut.  
• Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on and check the kitchen before going to bed to ensure all stoves, ovens and small appliances are turned off. 

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 visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.