REGION — As winter weather continues to impact communities across the commonwealth, the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania urges families to take steps to heat their homes safely.

In December alone, the Red Cross responded to nearly 6,000 home fires, providing assistance to more than 23,000 people nationwide. In Pennsylvania, Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteers responded to more than 260 home fires in December, assisting more than 1,100 people.

About 165 times each day, Red Cross workers help a family affected by a disaster. Most of those disasters are home fires and responses typically spike by nearly 20% in winter months, when fire risks increase due to cooking and heating.

“Home fires are the most frequent disasters we respond to, and we see the risk rise during the winter months as families rely more on cooking and heating equipment,” said Jorge Martinez, CEO of the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania. “Here in Pennsylvania, our volunteer teams respond to home fires far too often, but many of these emergencies are preventable. Taking simple safety steps can help protect families and save lives.”

PREVENTING HOME FIRES 

Every second counts when there’s a home fire. Stay safe by taking two simple steps. First, test your smoke alarms each month and then practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.

Space heaters are most often responsible for home heating fires. Follow these tips on how to safely heat your home:

• If you must use a space heater, never leave it unattended. 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.
• 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 bed.
• 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 any embers in the fireplace 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.

Learn more about how your family can prevent home fires, escape from a home fire in two minutes, and recover after a home fire here.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org. Follow the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.