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Red Cross Assisting Family In Berkeley County After Home Fire

by The Berkeley Observer
FILE

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – American Red Cross disaster-trained volunteers are assisting a family whose home, located on Amy Drive in Goose Creek, was damaged by a fire Friday afternoon. The Red Cross is helping two people by providing financial assistance for immediate needs such as food, clothing, and shelter, along with referrals to much-needed resources.

In South Carolina, The Red Cross responds to an average of six home fires every day. In the colder months, there is unfortunately a 30% increase in home fires. 

“Home fires are a real threat to communities across South Carolina year-round, especially during the winter months,” said Rod Tolbert, Chief Executive Officer for the Red Cross of South Carolina. “We at the Red Cross are urging families to home fire safety steps to keep your family safe this winter.”

HOW TO SAFELY HEAT YOUR HOME According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), space heaters are most often responsible for home heating fires. Follow these tips on how to safely heat your home:

  • If you must use a space heater, never leave it unattended. Place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets, or near bedding and drapes.
  • Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets — never into an extension cord. Turn the space heater off every time you leave the room or go to sleep. 
  • Keep children, pets and anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment. 
  • Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
  • Never leave a fire burning in the fireplace unattended. Make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep embers in the fireplace.
  • Have furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves inspected annually by a professional and cleaned if necessary.

HOW TO HELP Help people affected by disasters, like home fires, and countless other crises by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. People can donate by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS, or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

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