Red Cross urges home fire safety during Fire Prevention Week

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) – The American Red Cross is urging residents to check smoke alarms, practice escape plans and take precautions while cooking and heating their homes during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10.

Red Cross disaster teams have responded to more than 1,300 home fires in Missouri and select counties in Illinois and Kansas since the beginning of 2026, according to the organization.

Nationally, the Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters each year, most of them home fires.

The organization warns that people may have less than two minutes to escape a burning home. It recommends developing a household escape plan with two exits from each room, choosing an outdoor meeting place and practicing the plan twice a year.

If a fire occurs, residents should get outside, stay outside and call 911. They should never reenter a burning home for people, pets or belongings.

Working smoke alarms can reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by nearly half, according to the Red Cross. Alarms should be installed on every level of a home and inside and outside sleeping areas.

Residents should test alarms monthly, replace batteries as required by the manufacturer and replace alarms that are 10 years old or older. Children should also learn what alarms sound like and how to respond.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States, according to the organization. To reduce the risk, the Red Cross recommends:

– Never leaving cooking food unattended and turning off the stove before leaving the kitchen.

– Avoiding loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.

– Keeping children at least 3 feet from the stove.

– Keeping towels, packaging, oven mitts and other flammable materials away from heat sources.

– Keeping a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

As colder weather approaches, the organization also urges residents to use heating equipment safely.

Space heaters should sit on hard, level, nonflammable surfaces, at least 3 feet from anything that can burn. They should be plugged directly into wall outlets and turned off before leaving the room or going to sleep.

Residents should never use an oven or cooking range to heat a home.

Fireplace fires should not be left unattended, and embers should be extinguished before bedtime or leaving home.

More fire safety information is available at redcross.org.