American Red Cross stresses preparedness during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8-14…4 Out of 5 Americans unaware Tthat home fires are the most common disaster threat

American Red Cross stresses preparedness during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8-14…4 Out of 5 Americans unaware that home fires are the most common disaster threat

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross urges families to prepare for a home fire during Fire Prevention Week, October 8-14. According to a recent poll by the Red Cross, four out of five Americans are unaware that home fires are the most common disaster in the United States, and only 26 percent of families have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan. Since fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined, the Red Cross urges families to use Red Cross resources to develop a fire escape plan and to take steps toward fire prevention and safety.

The theme of this year's Fire Prevention Week sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is "Prevent Cooking Fires -- Watch What You Heat." According to the NFPA, home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room of the home, and the leading cause of home cooking fires is unattended cooking.

To prevent kitchen fires, the Red Cross recommends that you keep all potential fuel sources, including potholders and food wrappers, at least three feet away from heat sources while cooking. In addition, stoves and ranges should be turned off if the responsible adult leaves the kitchen.

"Preparing for a home fire doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment or training, and Fire Prevention Week is a great time for families to plan for a potential fire," said Red Cross fire safety expert, Heidi Taylor. "In addition to smoke alarms, one of the easiest ways you can prepare is to develop and practice a home fire escape plan so that every family member can escape quickly and safely."

The Red Cross suggests that a fire escape plan include at least two escape routes for every room in the home, and a convenient meeting place at a safe distance from the fire. Families are encouraged to pay particular attention to developing and regularly practicing escape plans for children and the elderly because of their increased risk of injury or death from fire. According to the NFPA, children and adults 65 and older are twice as likely to die in a home fire as the American population at large.

Last year the Red Cross responded to 67,000 fires by providing immediate emergency assistance to fire victims. Each of the 800 local Red Cross chapters uses donations to provide assistance for food, clothing, prescription medications, temporary shelter and other special needs an affected family might have.

During the month of October, the American Red Cross will be partnering with The Home Depot to host Family Fire Safety Clinics. These educational and fun clinics will be offered at every The Home Depot store nationwide at 10 a.m. local time on each Saturday during the month of October. For more information on the clinics visit http://www.homedepotclinics.com/, and for more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information visit http://www.redcross.org/ or contact your local Red Cross chapter.

Simple Steps to Prevent Fires

* Keep all sources of fuel (paper, clothing, bedding, and carpets or

rugs) at least three feet away from all heat sources when cooking, or

using alternative heating like a space heater.

* Provide constant adult supervision during cooking or in rooms with lit

candles or fires. Do not leave burning candles unattended.

* Keep matches and lighters away and out of reach of children.

* Teach young children to tell an adult if they see matches and lighters

and not to touch them.

* Teach adolescents to resist peer pressure and not to play with fire if

curious or bored.

Simple Steps to Make Your Home Safer

* Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm outside each sleeping

area and on each additional level of your home. If people sleep with

doors closed, install smoke alarms inside sleeping areas. Use the test

button to check each smoke alarm once a month. When necessary, replace

batteries immediately. Replace all batteries at least once a year.

Smoke alarms become less sensitive over time, so replace your smoke

alarm every 10 years.

* Consider having one or more working fire extinguishers in your home.

Get training from the fire department in proper use of your

extinguishers.

* Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your home.

* Determine at least two ways to escape from every room of your home.

Consider escape ladders for sleeping areas on the second or third

floors. Learn how to use escape ladders and store them near windows.

* Select a location outside your home where everyone would meet after

escaping.

* Practice your escape plan, especially with children and older adults,

at least twice a year and revise as necessary.

Safety Tips During a Home Fire

* Once you are out, stay out! Call the fire department from a neighbor's

home.

* 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 to

your exit. If you are escaping through a closed door, feel the door

before opening it. If the door is warm, use your second way out.

* If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with

the door closed. Signal for help using a brightly colored cloth at the

window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department

and tell them where you are.

The American Red Cross has helped people mobilize to help their neighbors for 125 years. Last year, victims of a record 72,883 disasters, most of them fires, turned to the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross for help and hope. Through more than 800 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people each year gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Almost 4 million people give blood -- the gift of life -- through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States.

The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of more than 180 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.