Don’t let candles make you a home fire statistic

By Gordon Williams  There are a couple of things you should know about candles if you want to dampen the risk of a holiday-season home fire.  First, December is the biggest month of the year for candle sales. No surprise, given that the three seasonal holidays — Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa — all make copious … Continue reading Don’t let candles make you a home fire statistic

Stop home heating fires before they get started

By Gordon Williams  There is nothing as comforting as a blast of heat on a wintry day. That’s why we fill our homes with devices that generate heat on command.  Figures from the American Red Cross show that “nearly half of American families use alternative heating sources such as space heaters, fireplaces or wood/coal stoves … Continue reading Stop home heating fires before they get started

Making the most of Fire Prevention Week

By Gordon Williams  More than 350,000 American homes catch fire each year and more than 3,000 Americans die in those fires. It is to reduce the frequency and severity of those fires that the National Fire Protection Association proclaims Fire Prevention Week in the first week of October each year.  The dates for Fire Prevention … Continue reading Making the most of Fire Prevention Week

How our virtual Home Fire Campaign can help save lives

April 27, 2019. Capitol Heights, Maryland. Photo by Dennis Drenner/American Red Cross By Gordon Williams  The intent of the Red Cross Home Fire campaign is straightforward enough: to reduce home fire deaths by teaching fire safety lessons and by installing smoke alarms in households that don't have them.   If times were normal, Red Cross … Continue reading How our virtual Home Fire Campaign can help save lives

Take Steps Now to Fireproof Your Home

By Gordon Williams  Fire Prevention Week, as proclaimed by the National Fire Protection Association, runs from October 4-10 this year. The dates for this annual event coincide with the anniversary of the Great Chicago fire that began on October 8, 1871.  Image by Pexels from Pixabay Observe the event this year by taking steps to … Continue reading Take Steps Now to Fireproof Your Home

Washington couple saved by smoke alarms

By Emily Thornton Kathleen Dilworth with Westport Fire Chief Dennis Benn and Battalion Chief Daryl Brown She said she awoke to the sound of a smoke alarm and fumes filling her 1930s-era home in Grayland near the Washington coastline. But as Kathleen Dilworth moved toward the back door to escape, she realized her husband, James, … Continue reading Washington couple saved by smoke alarms