The American Red Cross urges families to prepare for a home fire during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8 through 14. According to a recent poll by the Red Cross, four out of five Americans are unaware that home fires are the most common disaster in the United States, and only 26 percent of families have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan. Since fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined, the Red Cross urges families to develop a fire escape plan and to take steps toward fire prevention and safety.

The theme of this year's Fire Prevention Week is “Prevent Cooking Fires - Watch What You Heat.” Home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room of the home, and the leading cause of home cooking fires is unattended cooking.

To prevent kitchen fires, the Red Cross recommends that you keep all potential fuel sources, including potholders and food wrappers, at least three feet away from heat sources while cooking. In addition, stoves and ranges should be turned off if the responsible adult leaves the kitchen.

Every year in Cayuga County, home fires are the single most common disaster threat. In fact over the last four years, your local chapter has responded to 133 home fires which impacted 684 individuals with immediate emergency assistance.

Following a call from a chief of a fire department, DAT (Disaster Action Team) members are at a fire site within a half hour. These volunteers activate 24 hours a day seven days a week. The Cayuga County Chapter provides fire victims with assistance for food, clothing, prescription medications, temporary shelter and other special needs an affected family might have. This relief is made possible by generous donations from people throughout Cayuga County, The United Way and several local foundations.

You can take some simple steps to prevent fires. Keep all sources of fuel such as paper, clothing, bedding and carpets or rugs at least three feet away from all heat sources when cooking, or using alternative heating like a space heater. Make sure there is constant adult supervision during cooking or in rooms with lit candles or fires. Do not leave burning candles unattended. Keep matches and lighters away and out of reach of children, and teach young children to tell an adult if they see matches and lighters and not to touch them. Tell each adolescent to resist peer pressure and not to play with fire if curious or bored.

There are simple steps to make your home safe from fire. We all know that smoke alarms save lives so install a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of your home. If people sleep with doors closed, install smoke alarms inside sleeping areas. Use the test button to check each smoke alarm once a month. When necessary, replace batteries immediately. It is easy to remember to change batteries if you do it when we change our clocks for daylight-saving time. Consider having one or more working fire extinguishers in your home and know how to use your extinguishers.

Preparing for a home fire doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment or training, and Fire Prevention Week is a great time for families to plan for a potential fire. In addition to smoke alarms, one of the easiest ways you can prepare is to develop and practice a home fire escape plan so that every family member can escape quickly and safely.

The Red Cross suggests that a fire escape plan include at least two escape routes for every room in the home, and a convenient meeting place at a safe distance from the fire. Families are encouraged to pay particular attention to developing and regularly practicing escape plans for children and the elderly because of their increased risk of injury or death from fire. According to the NFPA, children and adults 65 and older are twice as likely to die in a home fire as the American population at large.

Lead by my 8-year-old daughter, my household practiced our Fire Escape Plan Thursday. She was in charge of the entire plan and had information from school she used to create maps and diagrams for us. Lydia selected a location outside our home where everyone would meet after escaping. Lydia also advised that we call the fire department from a neighbor's home.

If you are interested in joining the Cayuga County Red Cross D.A.T., please contact the chapter at 252-9596 or chapter@ccredcross.org, or you may attend The Regional Disaster Volunteer Recruitment Day held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 27, at the chapter, 11 State St., Auburn. Registration is requested.

Susan Marteney is executive director of the Cayuga County Chapter of the American Red Cross.