Prevent Home Fires

The American Red Cross and its partners have launched an initiative that aims to reduce deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25% in five years with the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign.

The Red Cross is asking every household in America to join us in taking two simple steps that can save lives: checking or installing smoke alarms and practicing fire drills at home. Join the campaign as a volunteer by contacting your local Red Cross chapter.

On average

7

people

die every day from a home fire.
On average

36

people

suffer injuries as a result of home fires every day.
Over

$7 billion

in property damage

occurs every year.

More Home Fire Statistics

Test Your Smoke Alarms

Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a fire in half. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home inside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Check your smoke alarms once a month, if they’re not working, change the batteries.

Practice Fire Drills at Home

Fire experts agree that you may have as little as 2 minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late to get out. Use this Home Fire Escape Plan worksheet to plan your evacuation and practice it at least twice a year as a family.

Prevent a Fire in Your Home

Your home may be full of fire hazards that you aren’t aware of. From your kitchen stove, to a romantic candle, to festive holiday lights, common household items can turn dangerous very quickly. Use our Home Fire Safety Checklist to reduce the risk of fire in your home.

Engaging Youth in Fire Preparedness

Youth often first learn about fire safety in school through fire drills and education, and are enthusiastic about bringing safety messages home. To request a presentation about fire prevention or preparedness in your child’s school or extracurricular program, contact your local Red Cross chapter.

Red Cross volunteer showing a school girl how to use a fire alarm.

We invite youth aged 7 to 18 to participate in The Paradigm Challenge, an annual competition developed in partnership with Project Paradigm that aims to generate new ideas to prevent injuries and fatalities from home fires. Project Paradigm will award cash prizes of up to $100,000 to the top 100 teams.

Learn More

Visit our Home Fire Safety page to learn more about preparing for, responding to, and recovering after a home fire.

Our Partners in Fire Prevention

The Red Cross is joining with fire departments and community groups nationwide to install smoke alarms in neighborhoods at greatest risk for home fires and engage youth in fire education and prevention efforts. The following organizations have endorsed the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign:

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