Follow American Red Cross Fire Safety Tips This Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the American Red Cross Central Valley Region encourages families to prevent kitchen fires by taking some basic safety measures. In the U.S., Thanksgiving is the peak day for cooking fires, 90 percent of which are caused by unattended cooking. 

We all think of Thanksgiving as a time for family, good food and football, but it’s also prime time for cooking fires. Taking a few simple precautions can help everyone have a safe and happy holiday.

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.

• Keep anything that can catch fire—potholders, wooden utensils, food wrappers or towels away from your stove top.  

• Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove.

• Turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward to avoid accidents.

Follow safety tips year round

Install smoke alarms on every level of the house and inside bedrooms. Replace smoke alarm batteries at least once a year. Test each alarm monthly by pushing the test button.

Create and practice a first escape plan. Ensure that household members know two ways to escape from every room.

If a fire occurs in your home, get out, stay out and call 9-1-1. Crawl low under smoke and stop, drop and roll if your clothes should catch fire.

Visit www.redcross.org/homefires for more information about fire safety and prevention.

American Red Cross Responds to 66th Fire of the Season.

Fresno, CA, April 5, 2012— Local American Red Cross volunteers responded to a residential fire on the 1200 block of San Bruno Ave in Fresno, CA at approximately 3:05AM this morning. The team of Red Cross volunteers helped coordinate assistance in the form of food, shelter, and emotional support to the 4 adults who were affected by the fire.  This marked the 66th fire the Central Valley Chapter has responded to this year. Last year, the Central Valley Region responded to 545 fires.

“We’re deeply saddened for those affected,” said Ellen Knapp, Regional CEO.  “As we continue to provide support to those affected, we also encourage others to take action to minimize the risk of a home fire.”

The Red Cross recommends two easy steps to help protect your home and loved ones from a fire: get a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan. 

• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
• Place smoke alarms on every level of your home, including bedrooms.
• Test smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. 
• Have a plan in place can help you escape, including at least two ways to escape from every room of your home and a meeting spot at a safe distance from your home. 
• Discuss the plan with everyone in the household and practice it at least twice a year.

Red Cross volunteers on the scene were members of the Chapter’s Disaster Action Team, a group of specially trained volunteers who respond to the scene of a local disaster when called upon at any time of the day or night.

For more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information visit www.redcross.org/homefires or www.arccentralvalley.org

To make a financial donation to your local Red Cross to help people affected by house fires and other disasters here in the United States and around the world, people can click, call or text - visit www.arccentralvalley.org, or call (559) 455-1000 or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.