Red Cross urges safe home heating as home fires rise 26% in North Carolina

CHARLOTTE — As temperatures drop in North Carolina, the American Red Cross urges families to take steps to heat their homes safely.

Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires in the U.S., and home fires account for most of the 60,000-plus disasters the Red Cross responds to each year. Responses are 30% higher during cold months than warmer times of year, and in North Carolina, home fires have increased by 26% since Nov. 1 compared to last year.

“Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires in this country,” said James Jarvis, regional disaster officer for the Red Cross in North Carolina. “But there are steps people can take to avoid having this happen to them. Help keep your family safe by providing at least three feet of space around all heating equipment, testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing your two-minute home fire escape plan.”

HOW TO SAFELY HEAT YOUR HOME

According to the National Fire Protection Association , space heaters are most often responsible for home heating fires. Follow these tips:

• If you must use a space heater, never leave it unattended. Place it on a level, hard, nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets, or near bedding and drapes.
• Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets — never into an extension cord. Turn the space heater off every time you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Keep children, pets and anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment.
• Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
• Never leave a fire burning in the fireplace unattended. Make sure embers are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep embers in the fireplace.
• Have furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves inspected annually by a professional and cleaned if necessary. 

PREVENT HOME FIRE TRAGEDIES

• Test your smoke alarms monthly.
• Practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late.  

IF YOU NEED HELP

If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Request a free smoke alarm installation on our website.

Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. Download the free Red Cross Emergency app for weather alerts, open shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies.

HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVES LIVES

Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, working with community partners, has saved at least 2,529 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans, and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country — including 93 lives saved in North Carolina. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.