The winter holidays are upon us. Unfortunately, we continue to see home fires. Home fires are the most common disaster. Between November 2023 and February 2024, we responded to over 350 home fires across Iowa and Nebraska and provided support to 1,211 people. Help protect your loved ones this season by following these tips.
Sadly, many cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cooking is the top cause of home fires in the U.S. Safely enjoy holiday cooking by keeping an eye on what you fry. Never leave cooking food unattended. If you need to leave the kitchen, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
December is the peak month for candle fires — which cause about 20 home fires a day on average in the U.S. While candles create a warm and cozy ambience, they are dangerous. Instead, use battery-operated candles. If you must use candles, keep them away from anything that could burn, and place them out of reach from pets and children. Never leave burning candles unattended and remember to snuff out the flames.
Heating equipment is another leading cause of home fires — a risk that increases with cold weather. Provide at least three feet of space for all heating equipment. This is critical because most home heating fire tragedies occur when flammable items like furniture, rugs and drapes are too close. In addition, never leave space heaters unattended — as they’re involved in most fatal home heating fires. If you use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets, or near bedding and drapes. And turn it off every time you leave the room or go to sleep.
Home fires can strike quickly, leaving you with as little as two minutes to safely escape. Create a home fire escape plan and practice it until everyone can get out in less than two minutes. Include at least two ways to exit every room in your home. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
Make sure to practice your plan with everyone in your household, including pets. It’s important for everyone to be prepared for home fires. Depending on your household’s needs, there may be additional considerations made for your home fire escape plan. If you or a loved one is deaf or hard of hearing, install strobe light and bed-shaker alarms. When practicing your escape plan, include any devices such as wheelchairs and canes or people that can help you or your loved ones to get out safely. Include children in your home fire safety practices. Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do in an emergency.
Home fires tragically claim seven lives every day in the U.S. — but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half. Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including the basement. Also, install smoke alarms inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Test your smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it. Remember to check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they are 10 years or older, they likely need to be replaced because components such as batteries can become less reliable. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.
Practicing home fire safety and preparedness will help keep you your loved ones safe this winter. If you’d like to learn more, visit redcross.org/fire. You can also download our free Emergency app (search “American Red Cross” in app stores).