When the smoke alarm goes off in the middle of the night, most of us think we’ll have time to find the dogs, grab the laptop, and get everyone together. Deb Fleming wants you to know that you won’t.
“It takes less than two minutes for a fire to consume your home,” said Fleming, Executive Director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. “Most people think, ‘Oh, I’ve got a little bit of time.’ Think about if you’re asleep and a fire starts.”
Fleming met Janet Michael, host of The Valley Today in the Secret Garden at the Espresso Bar on the Old Town Walking Mall in Winchester to talk about home fire season. It starts as soon as the nights turn cold and lasts through March. Click here to listen to the conversation.
Why fall is home fire season
Wildfires get the headlines, but Fleming said home fires are the bigger threat in the Shenandoah Valley right now. When the weather turns cold, people turn on furnaces that haven’t been cleaned or tuned up, close up their houses, and bring out space heaters. In an area full of older homes, fireplaces, and wood stoves, that adds up to more risk.
“We are always concerned about the big events,” she said. “That’s what’s in the news. But when it really comes right down to it, we’re more at risk for home family fires.”
Start with smoke alarms
Working smoke alarms are the first line of defense. Fleming recommends:
- At least one alarm on every level of your home, including the basement. Put one near the kitchen, but not in it.
- An alarm in every bedroom, and sleep with your bedroom door closed. A closed door slows a fire down and gives you more time to get out.
- Replace any alarm more than 10 years old. If your alarms have turned yellow, that’s a good sign they’re past their prime. “People are like, ‘I’ve been testing them. They’re fine,'” Fleming said. “Well, today.”
- Choose alarms with 10-year sealed batteries, so you never have to buy another 9-volt.
The Red Cross installs smoke alarms for free. Volunteers, or a partner fire department, come to your home, test the alarms to make sure they work, and walk through fire safety with your family. They’ll do the safety visit even if you already have alarms. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS to get on the list.
Make a plan and practice it
An alarm only helps if everyone knows what to do when it goes off. Fleming said many families have never practiced.
- Have a meeting place outside. Fleming has seen fires where two people escaped to different places, one went back in to find the other, and didn’t come out.
- Plan for everyone in the home. Think about kids, grandkids, aging parents, and anyone with mobility or sensory needs. A wheelchair or walker can change how someone gets out.
- Have two ways out of every room. Check that your windows actually open. In older homes, windows are often painted shut or swollen from rain.
- Know where your pets hide. If your cat runs under the bed when the alarm sounds, tell the firefighters where to look. Don’t go back in yourself.
Fleming’s favorite tip for parents is to give kids a job. “It’s their job to get out and wait for the fire department to come,” she said. If a pet or sibling is still inside, their job is to tell a firefighter, not to go back in. It helps them feel empowered instead of frozen.
Common causes you can prevent
Fleming has seen a lot of fires start from everyday habits:
- Overloaded outlets and old wiring. Don’t plug space heaters into power strips, and watch for loose plugs or burn marks on outlets. She once warned friends whose landlord had handed out brand-new space heaters during a cold snap. Within three days, the one in the kitchen sparked and started a fire while she was there. “It’s what’s going on in that wall,” she said.
- Candles. Stay in the room, watch out for curious pets, and check that every candle is out before bed.
- Smoking and grills. Never smoke in bed, and never fire up the grill if you’re tired or have been drinking.
- Hot ashes and cigarette butts. Use a metal container with a lid, not a plastic bucket, and keep it away from the house and deck.
- Clutter. Extra stuff blocks your way out and gives a fire more fuel. Fleming goes through her storage every six months and donates what she doesn’t need.
And if an alarm keeps going off and you can’t find a reason, don’t just turn it off. Fleming once saw a fire that had been smoldering inside a wall. Call your fire department’s non-emergency number and have them check it out.
A few extra steps for peace of mind
- Keep important phone numbers written down somewhere other than your cell phone.
- Keep what you’d want to grab, like a laptop, in a pillowcase by your bed so you can take it and go.
- Store important papers in a fire safe near the front door, inside a plastic bag. “It is fire safe. It is not water safe,” Fleming said.
- Consider Wi-Fi smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that alert your phone when you’re away. Janet uses them so she’ll know if something happens while her dogs are home alone.
“Start somewhere,” Fleming said. “Just do something.”
Listen to Janet’s full conversation with Deb Fleming on The Valley Today. For more home fire safety tips, visit the American Red Cross.
