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Fire Officials Stress Home Fire Prevention
Historically, winter is the time of year when most house fires take place, and as of late we've seen a spate of them. This weekend there were fires in Jacksonville, Springfield, and Decatur.
Fire officials as well as the American Red Cross are now strongly urging the public to make sure they are taking the right preventative measures so something like this doesn't happen to them.
A fatal fire took the lives of four individuals earlier this month, and
now another fire has displaced five residents in the capital city.
Springfield Fire Chief Ken Fustin said prevention is key.
"The best fire that we can fight is one that we can prevent, and if we can get people to have an escape plan, have two ways out of every room, have working smoke detectors, have working carbon monoxide detectors, those are the things that make our job much safer and much better for our community," Fustin said.
This month, the Springfield Fire Department battled nine residential fires, while the Jacksonville Fire Department has only had one major fire. That blaze broke out on Saturday. Jacksonville Fire Chief Rick Kluge said people need to be aware of their home heating appliances, especially during the winter months.
"Sometimes we come across where families' furnaces have gone out and so they are using space heaters or they are using the actual stove in their kitchen to heat their homes, which is dangerous," Kluge said.
The residents in both weekend fires received help from the American Red Cross, who said the amount of residential fires is on the rise and doesn't have to be.
"The tragedies of what's happened in the city of Springfield lately does not need to happen to people," Colleen Stone, CEO of the Illinois Capital Area Red Cross chapter, said. "Making sure they have smoke alarms is critical and making sure they test them is critical."
The Springfield Fire Department recommends smoke detectors are placed in every level of your home in every bedroom and to practice an escape plan at least twice a year.
To avoid the three leading causes of residential fires, fire officials say don't cook while distracted, make sure combustibles are kept 3 feet from heating sources, and don't smoke while you're tired.
If you are in need of a smoke detector, the Jacksonville Police Department is giving them to residents free of charge.
Fire Officials Stress Home Fire Prevention
Historically, winter is the time of year when most house fires take place, and as of late we've seen a spate of them. This weekend there were fires in Jacksonville, Springfield, and Decatur.
Fire officials as well as the American Red Cross are now strongly urging the public to make sure they are taking the right preventative measures so something like this doesn't happen to them.
A fatal fire took the lives of four individuals earlier this month, and
now another fire has displaced five residents in the capital city.
Springfield Fire Chief Ken Fustin said prevention is key.
"The best fire that we can fight is one that we can prevent, and if we can get people to have an escape plan, have two ways out of every room, have working smoke detectors, have working carbon monoxide detectors, those are the things that make our job much safer and much better for our community," Fustin said.
This month, the Springfield Fire Department battled nine residential fires, while the Jacksonville Fire Department has only had one major fire. That blaze broke out on Saturday. Jacksonville Fire Chief Rick Kluge said people need to be aware of their home heating appliances, especially during the winter months.
"Sometimes we come across where families' furnaces have gone out and so they are using space heaters or they are using the actual stove in their kitchen to heat their homes, which is dangerous," Kluge said.
The residents in both weekend fires received help from the American Red Cross, who said the amount of residential fires is on the rise and doesn't have to be.
"The tragedies of what's happened in the city of Springfield lately does not need to happen to people," Colleen Stone, CEO of the Illinois Capital Area Red Cross chapter, said. "Making sure they have smoke alarms is critical and making sure they test them is critical."
The Springfield Fire Department recommends smoke detectors are placed in every level of your home in every bedroom and to practice an escape plan at least twice a year.
To avoid the three leading causes of residential fires, fire officials say don't cook while distracted, make sure combustibles are kept 3 feet from heating sources, and don't smoke while you're tired.
If you are in need of a smoke detector, the Jacksonville Police Department is giving them to residents free of charge.
