Fire officials are reminding residents to be prepared as Fire Prevention Month is observed in October, with Fire Prevention Week observed now through October 12.
“The work we’re doing in making people aware of fire safety and things like that, it is working,” said Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane. “Our statistics, if you look back to 1977, show 7,395 people died in fires. In 2021, it was 3,800 in residential fires, so we are making a difference.”
Crane says medical runs and responses to vehicle accidents are prominent parts of fire department duties today, but responding to fires remains vitaly important.
“A fire department responds every 21 seconds to a fire in the United States,” Crane said. “One home structure fire was reported every 88 seconds and one home fire-related death occurred every 3 hours, 14 minutes.”
The results of a fire can quickly turn devastating.
“In 2022, the national estimates for residential building fires and losses showed that there were 374,300 fires, 2,700 deaths, and almost $11 million in dollar loss,” Crane said.
The theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you.” Visit the National Fire Protection Association’s website to learn more.
