Red Cross offers fire safety tips during Fire Prevention Week

NORTH CAROLINA (WWAY) — The American Red Cross North Carolina Region is sharing home fire safety tips during Fire Prevention Week, which runs Oct. 4-10.

The Red Cross said cooking and home heating are among the leading causes of home fires. During fiscal year 2026, disaster teams with the organization responded to 2,886 home fires across North Carolina.

“Home fires remain the most frequent disaster the Red Cross responds to, and they can change a family’s life in an instant,” said Sharonne Hayes, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross North Carolina Region.

The Red Cross recommends households take several steps to prepare for a potential fire, including:

• Create and practice a home fire escape plan twice a year.
• Make sure everyone knows two ways to escape from each room.
• Choose a meeting place a safe distance from the home.
• Get outside and stay outside during a fire. Never go back inside for people, pets or belongings.
• Make sure smoke alarms are installed on every level of the home, including inside and outside sleeping areas.
• Test smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries at least once a year if required by the model.
• Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years old or older, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when they hear it.

The Red Cross also recommends steps to reduce the risk of a fire while cooking.

People should never leave food cooking unattended and should turn off the stove if they need to leave the kitchen. The organization also recommends keeping children at least three feet away from cooking areas and keeping flammable items, including towels, paper bags and oven mitts, away from heat sources.

When using home heating equipment, the Red Cross recommends keeping at least three feet of space around heating equipment and never leaving space heaters unattended.

Space heaters should be placed on a level, hard and nonflammable surface and kept away from bedding, curtains, children and pets. The organization also recommends plugging space heaters directly into a wall outlet rather than using an extension cord and turning them off when leaving the room or going to sleep.

The Red Cross said people should never use a cooking range or oven to heat their homes and should not leave a fireplace unattended.

According to the Red Cross, a home fire can leave residents with less than two minutes to escape safely.

“If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove,” the organization said in its safety recommendations.