How to stay safe and prevent home fires this winter
From extension cords and holiday decorations to space heaters, here's what you need to know to protect your family from home fires.
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00:00 Since it's quiet and you have a little break in the weather, it's a good time to prepare yourself for what comes next.
00:06 Now according to the Red Cross, home fires are actually this country's deadliest and most frequent disaster.
00:12 And as the temperature drops this time of year, the likelihood of a fire goes up as we crank up the furnace or plug in a space heater or even stoke the flames in a fireplace.
00:21 Now to discuss how to stay safe, Regional Chief Executive Officer at the American Red Cross of Central California, Tony Briggs, joins us this morning.
00:29 Tony, hey, thanks for being here.
00:31 My pleasure, thank you.
00:33 And credit to you, you woke up a little extra early being on the West Coast. We appreciate the early alarm clock, my friend.
00:39 Oh, not a problem at all, thank you.
00:42 Now let's get into it here. What are some typical home fire hazards that we see this time of year?
00:47 Well, this time of year, what we see is people using their heaters in the wrong way.
00:53 Whether that means using an oven to heat your home, which is always a no-no, or having your space heater too close to a combustible item.
01:01 Those are the things that we see a lot this time of year.
01:05 Now what about holiday decorating? People obviously excited to get ready for the holidays, but I have to imagine there are some hazards that come with that as well, right?
01:14 There are. And one thing that we really want people to remember is not to connect too many things to an outlet.
01:22 A lot of people want to get as many lights as they possibly can on a power strip, and that's just a no-no.
01:28 We say no more than three strands of light to a power strip or to a power source.
01:34 And then when you're starting to think about other things like your tree, if you're going to get a fresh tree, please make sure that it's as fresh as it can possibly be.
01:43 A quick test is to check the needles to see if they fall off to the touch.
01:47 And then when you're decorating that tree, not to put too many ornaments or too many lights on that tree.
01:53 It really does not take much for a live tree to go up in flames.
01:57 Oh, so important, especially people are getting closer and closer to Christmas time, maybe just getting the last of their trees and the last of their ornaments together now.
02:04 Now, you know, I remember Tony going through this when I was a little kid, but I feel like we could all use a refresher because I don't know the last time I talked about this.
02:11 What do families need to consider when they make a home fire escape plan?
02:17 Well, the one thing that you want to make sure is that you can get out of your home in two minutes.
02:22 Talk to everyone in your home. Make sure that you understand where your exits are.
02:27 You always have to have a primary and then a secondary exit.
02:30 And then once you leave the house, make sure that you've already pre-identified a place where you can gather.
02:36 And once you're out, stay out.
02:39 Now, last week, the American Red Cross announced that its home fire campaign has actually helped save more than 2000 lives.
02:45 That's so cool. Congratulations, first and foremost. Can you tell us more about the program?
02:50 Well, the thanks goes to our volunteers who are everything to us.
02:55 And this program, we have been able to install more than two point seven million free smoke alarms.
03:01 And like you said, this program has helped save more than 2000 lives. And that's incredible.
03:07 I'm still focused on the smoke alarms, too. I mean, both incredible numbers.
03:11 Serious congratulations. And we love to see such a great program helping out.
03:15 How can people find out more if they want to be part of this?
03:19 The fastest way is go to Red Cross dot org.
03:22 You'll be able to request a free home visit and we'll bring some folks in and show you some of the things that you can do to make sure that you and your family are safe during the holidays and beyond.
03:33 Fantastic information there. Regional chief executive offer at the American Red Cross of Central California, Tony Briggs.
03:39 Thank you so much for joining us. And thanks again for waking up early.
03:43 Happy to do it.