Home fires claim more lives in a typical year than all natural disasters combined, according to the American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region.
A house fire Sept. 30 in Franklin Township, Carbon County, that killed a woman and four children was a sobering, real-time reminder of that statistic.
Aida Marrero, 37, Kaylee Quevedo, 14, Matthias Wheelock, 6, Aiden Wheelock, 5, and Nathaniel Wheelock, 1, died from a combination of inhalation and thermal injuries, the Carbon County coroner’s office said.
The tragedy occurred a few days before Fire Prevention Week, which runs through Saturday. The Carbon County tragedy, as well as a fire late last month in Lebanon County that also killed five people, have been ruled accidental.
The Red Cross has issued reminders about practicing a home fire escape plan and testing smoke alarms.
In a news release, the Red Cross said people should:
- Know two ways to escape from each room of your home. Once out, stay out.
- Decide where to meet once everyone is outside.
- Time your fire drill to learn your escape time. If a fire starts, you might have less than two minutes to emerge safely from a burning structure, Red Cross CEO Jorge Martinez said.
- Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and talk to them about what to do in an emergency.
Smoke alarms should be on each level of a home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas, the Red Cross said. In addition to testing alarms once a month, batteries should be changed at least once a year in models that require that. Alarms that are older than 10 years — the manufacturer’s date will be on each one — need to be replaced because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time.
The Red Cross works with fire departments and community groups to install free smoke alarms nationwide. To learn more about its work, go to .
