Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 4 through Oct. 10 across South Carolina, and the American Red Cross of South Carolina is urging households to check smoke alarms and practice home escape plans.
Red Cross disaster teams in the state have responded to more than 400 fires since the beginning of 2026, the organization said, part of more than 60,000 disasters it handles nationwide each year — most of them home fires.
The Red Cross said a person may have less than two minutes to escape a burning home and recommended that families draw up an escape plan, choose an outdoor meeting place and practice at least twice a year. Smoke alarms should be on every level of the home, including inside and outside sleeping areas, and units 10 years or older should be replaced because sensors lose sensitivity over time.
As temperatures fall, the organization said residents should never use a cooking range or oven to heat a home. Space heaters should sit on a hard, nonflammable surface away from bedding and drapes, with children and pets kept clear. Cooking fires remain a leading risk, and the Red Cross advised keeping flammable kitchen items away from hot appliances and never leaving food unattended on the stove.
Citing National Fire Protection Association figures, the Red Cross noted a home fire every 23 seconds in 2024 and a fire death about every two hours and 14 minutes, and urged residents to develop evacuation plans and test smoke alarms during the week.
