National Fire Prevention Week is the week of Oct. 9 to mark the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. The blaze began on Oct. 8, 1871, and killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,000 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
Greater Salt Lake chapter director for the Red Cross of Utah Jeremiah Lefranca said the best way to prevent a house fire is to ensure all smoke alarms work.
“Oftentimes, people hear the chirping going on in the background, right? I think we've all experienced that, people get annoyed by that, they'll take the smoke alarms out and then they don't put them back in, or they just don't change the batteries and let it die,” Lefranca said. “That creates a difficult situation. More than 60% of home fire deaths are related to homes that don't have working smoke alarms.”
He said a smoke alarm should be in every bedroom and they should be tested monthly. Lefranca said his organization will check and install free smoke alarms in local homes. Appointments can be made online.
It’s also a good idea to have a fire escape plan. Lefranca said to make sure there are two escape routes in each room and to teach kids what the smoke alarm means.
“Make sure everybody knows what to do in those situations. Practice the plan. Make sure you have somewhere that you're going to meet outside of the home, usually a neighbor's house or or somewhere that's close by where everybody can get to,” he said.
With winter coming up, Lefranca said locals should also be mindful of the dangers of space heaters and candles. Stay in the room when using these items and don’t place them close to flammable objects.
Lefranca said dried-out Christmas trees are also a fire risk in December; they can be engulfed in flames within a matter of seconds.
If the worst case happens, and a home does catch fire, the Red Cross will be available to assist families.
“60% of what we respond to every year are home fires. When a home fire occurs, we're out there supporting a family. We'll give them some immediate assistance,” Lefranca said.
The Red Cross will help find families a place to stay, to get any needed medications they may have lost in a fire and connect them with family or partners.
