top of page
Search

Red Cross tips to heat your home safely


ree

Greater Kansas Chapter

990 SW Fairlawn Road

Topeka, KS 66604


Media Contact: Matt Trotter

For Immediate Release



Red Cross tips to heat your home safely as temperatures fall Disaster workers are responding to home fires more frequently


[TOPEKA, DEC. 10, 2025] — With a cold front expected to hit the region this weekend, the American Red Cross of Greater Kansas urges families to take steps to heat their home safely.


Overall, home fires account for most of the 60,000-plus disasters that the Red Cross responds to each year, and home fire responses go up significantly during cold months. On average, Red Cross Disaster Action Teams in Kansas and Oklahoma responded to a fire every six and a half hours in October. In November, it was every five hours. So far this month, it’s every three and a half hours.



“December, January and February are peak months for home heating fires” said Jane Blocher, Executive Director of the Red Cross of Greater Kansas. “Help protect your family by taking steps to heat your home safely all winter, like keeping heating equipment at least three feet away from anything that can catch fire, testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing your two-minute home fire escape plan.”


HOW TO SAFELY HEAT YOUR HOME According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), space heaters are most often responsible for home heating fires. Follow these tips on how to safely heat your home:


  • If you must use a space heater, never leave it unattended. Place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets, or near bedding and drapes.

  • Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets — never into an extension cord. Turn the space heater off every time you leave the room or go to sleep.

  • Keep children, pets and anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment.

  • Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.

  • Never leave a fire burning in the fireplace unattended. Make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep embers in the fireplace.

  • Have furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves inspected annually by a professional and cleaned if necessary.

  • PREVENT HOME FIRE TRAGEDIES To help protect your family year-round, test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late.


IF YOU NEED HELP If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact your local Red Cross for help.



Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. Download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies. Choose whether you want to view the content in English or Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.




ree

About the American Red Cross:


The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

bottom of page