Home fires are the country’s most frequent disaster. Always unplug the lights before going to bed or leaving your home. Throw out any old or damaged holiday lights. Make certain there are no frayed cords or damaged connections. Inspect holiday lights before hanging them.Turn off the space heater every time you leave the room or go to sleep. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets, or near bedding and drapes. If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor.Never place space heaters too close to furniture, rugs, drapes, or any flammable items.If you must use candles, keep them away from anything that could burn, and place them out of reach of pets and children.Instead, use battery-operated candles to help keep your family safe. Candles cause about 20 home fires a day on average in the U.S.If you need to leave the kitchen, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove. Precautions renters can take to lessen the risk of fire in their apartment: Our disaster response and recovery assistance includes financial help health and mental health care emotional support and spiritual care as well as case work. Holiday decorations, such as lights and candles are also a key contributor to fire causes this time of year.įrom September 1 to late November, over 450 people impacted by 80 different multi-family or apartment fires in our region (which includes Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton) have received Red Cross assistance. Home and apartment fires become more common in the cooler months when we spend more time inside, cook more often, and use alternate methods–such as space heaters–to warm our homes. This fall, volunteers and staff from the Central & Southern Ohio Region of the American Red Cross have been busy responding to a high number of apartment and multi-family fires.

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