Wednesday, October 7, 2015

People Have False Sense of Security, Fire Survey Finds

An American Red Cross survey found that most people believe they have up to 10 minutes to safely get away from a home fire, when in fact they may have as little as 2 minutes to escape before the situation turns deadly.

People have other misconceptions about home fires too, the study shows. While 41% are confident they can get out of a burning home in less than 2 minutes and 64% of parents surveyed believe their children would know what to do if a fire occurred, only about 10% of families have actually practiced home fire drills, and only 24% have identified a safe place for the family to meet outside the home.

The survey revealed some unsafe practices as well. More than a third of respondents said they use candles instead of flashlights during a power outage, and 17% admit to leaving food unattended on the stove.

The survey was part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which is a multi-year effort aimed at reducing deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25%. The group wants people to take two easy steps to help save lives: Check existing smoke alarms, and practice fire drills.

Learn more about the campaign and the survey at the Red Cross website.