Members of the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania teamed with Allegheny County Emergency Services for a live burn demonstration Oct. 6 in observation of Fire Prevention Week.
The purpose of the media-only news conference was to share the importance of smoke alarms.
Jorge Martinez, CEO of the Red Cross organization, kicked off the event with a few eye-opening statistics.
“On a typical year, house fires claim more lives than all natural disasters combined,” he said.
Pennsylvania is statistically unique when it comes to deaths in home fires.
“Unfortunately, Pennsylvania regularly leads the nation in home fire deaths — as is true for this year as well. Over 100 people have lost their lives this year in Pennsylvania alone,” Martinez said.
There is something that can be done to help reduce the risk of dying in a house fire, he said.
“Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying by 50%,” Martinez said.
Every second counts in a home fire, he said, and residents usually have just under two minutes to escape. It’s critical that homeowners check their smoking alarms monthly and change them out at least every 10 years because the sensors wear out.
Anyone who needs smoke alarms in their homes can contact the Red Cross to schedule a free installation.
“The Red Cross has installed over 3 million smoke alarms nationwide,” Martinez said.
Chief Matt Brown of Allegheny County Emergency Services also shared some crucial advice.
“It’s important for families to practice an escape plan. Never go back into homes for pets or people,” Brown said.
A simulated bedroom used for the test burn included many basic furniture and clothing items typically found in a young person’s bedroom. Bookshelves and a bed complete with blankets, pillows and sheets were neatly placed in the room. Clothes, shoes and a pair of rubber boots sat beside the bed.
When a firefighter lit the bedsheets to begin the demonstration, the bed was fully consumed by flames in seconds. The rubber boots seemed to accelerate the blaze like gasoline.
“All those items are highly flammable. The rubber in those boots is just pure petroleum,” Brown said.
Even though the flames burned intensely hot, they were not the only problem.
“It’s that thick black smoke. That smoke is highly toxic. Just a few breaths of that stuff can drop you,” Brown warned.
So, does the adage that staying low while escaping a fire really save lives?
“Yes, staying low does help, but I don’t like to see someone slowed up by crawling when they could be moving a lot quicker on their feet,” Brown said.
With active and working smoke alarms, Brown stressed, people typically can escape a burning home before it is fully engulfed.
