The American Red Cross of Utah responded to 154 home fires in 2025 while helping 728 people with emergency assistance, the organization shared in a recent northern Utah report.
SALT LAKE CITY — The American Red Cross of Utah responded to 154 home fires in 2025 while helping 728 people with emergency assistance, the organization shared in a recent northern Utah report.Over the past six years, the Red Cross has responded to more than 1,000 house fires, which has sparked a greater need for community support and fire preparedness.
"Home fires are the most frequent disaster we respond to, and they leave families displaced and in urgent need of help," said Michael Smauldon, executive director of the American Red Cross Northern Utah Chapter. "Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and the generosity of our donors, we're able to provide immediate relief and ongoing recovery assistance to families in crisis."Kitchen mishaps lead to most home firesHouse fires are usually started by everyday objects that people don't always think about, the organization said."Kitchen fires are some of the most common," said Heidi Ruster, CEO for the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region, said. "People just aren't thinking about the amount of oil they're using or watching the stove or the oven."House fires also increase by about 10% during the winter, since people are plugging in heating appliances and overloading circuits, Ruster said. Space heaters are also a big one to pay attention to, since they may not be plugged in correctly, or they could be near flammable material.Ruster recommends making sure heating elements are at least 3 feet away from anything that may catch fire.Sound the Alarm campaign continuesThrough the Sound the Alarm campaign, the Red Cross seeks to decrease home fire deaths and injuries by installing free smoke alarms and by educating families on fire safety.The program is year-round, but a Sound the Alarm event is set to take place March 28 in West Valley City, where Red Cross officials and volunteers aim to assist around 150 homes with fire preparedness by installing up to three alarms and helping with emergency plans.Volunteers will stop by each house that makes an appointment to help them be "Red Cross Ready.""It's the idea of being informed, making a plan and having a kit," Ruster said. "It's only two minutes you have to get out of a house, so people have to be prepared accordingly."To be prepared for this, Sound the Alarm volunteers give graphs of each house with a plan to evacuate during a house fire, and direct households to practice this plan once or twice
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