UTICA — Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4–10, is a timely reminder for Mohawk Valley households to test smoke alarms, practice an escape plan and review cooking and heating habits before colder weather settles in. This week emphasizes Fire Prevention Week home safety.
In an Oct. 1 release, the American Red Cross Eastern New York Region said its disaster teams have responded to nearly 500 home fires since the beginning of 2026. That is a regional figure, not a count of fires in Utica or Oneida County alone.
Regional Chief Executive Officer Kevin Coffey urged households to take steps both to prevent a fire and to improve their chances of escaping safely. The release offers 20 actions covering alarms, escape planning, kitchens and home heating.
The guidance is practical: make time for a household safety check before an emergency forces everyone to act. A working alarm and a plan people have practiced can make the first moments of a fire less confusing.
By focusing on Fire Prevention Week home safety, families can ensure they are prepared for any potential emergencies.
Begin with the alarms already in your home
The Red Cross recommends smoke alarms on every level, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Start by walking through the home and noting where each alarm is located.
Test every alarm monthly using the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not assume an alarm works simply because it is mounted on the ceiling. If a device fails its test, address the problem promptly and follow its instructions for replacing batteries or the unit.
Check the manufacture date as well. The release says alarms that are 10 years old or older should be replaced because their sensors become less sensitive over time. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for your specific model.
Battery requirements differ. The Red Cross release recommends changing batteries at least yearly when a model requires replacement batteries. A sealed-battery alarm may have different instructions, so read the device label rather than applying one rule to every product.
Make the alarm sound familiar
A test is also a teaching opportunity. Let children hear the alarm and explain what they should do if it sounds during a fire. The goal is a clear response, not a frightening demonstration.
Include everyone who lives in the home in the discussion. A plan that only one adult understands will be less useful if that person is away when an emergency occurs.
Talk through any assistance household members may need. Identify who will help and how the household will account for everyone outside. Keep the plan realistic for the people and layout of your home.
Visitors and overnight guests should also know the exits and the outdoor meeting place. A brief conversation can prevent confusion in unfamiliar surroundings.
Practice two ways out
The regional release warns that people may have less than two minutes to escape a burning home. It recommends identifying two ways out of each room, creating a household escape plan and practicing it twice a year.
Walk through the routes before timing a drill. Notice furniture, clutter or other obstacles that could make an exit harder to reach. The purpose of practicing is to discover problems while there is time to fix them.
Choose a meeting place a safe distance from the home. It could be a recognizable tree, a neighbor’s property or another landmark that everyone can identify. Agree on the same place so family members do not search for one another in different directions.
Time a practice drill and discuss what made it slower. A drill should help the household improve its plan, not encourage unsafe rushing or risky climbing.
Once outside, stay outside
The Red Cross tells people to leave safely, stay out and call 911. Do not go back into a burning building for belongings, pets or another person.
That instruction can be emotionally difficult, especially when someone is worried about a loved one. Tell arriving firefighters what you know and where someone may be, rather than attempting to reenter yourself.
Make sure the outdoor meeting place is part of the plan before an emergency. Knowing who is already outside helps the household give responders clearer information.
Give cooking your full attention
The release identifies cooking as the leading cause of home fires in the United States. Its main advice is to stay with food while it is cooking and turn the stove off if you must leave the kitchen, even briefly.
A timer can help remind you that an appliance is operating, but it does not replace supervision. Set one when starting a task that could otherwise slip your mind.
Keep towels, food packaging, paper bags, oven mitts and other items that can burn away from the stove and other heat-producing appliances. A quick clearing of the cooking area can remove hazards before a burner is turned on.
Avoid loose sleeves or clothing that could come into contact with heat. Keep children at least three feet from the stove, as the Red Cross recommends, and make that boundary part of the kitchen routine.
The release also recommends having a kitchen fire extinguisher. Equipment should never delay evacuation when a fire is spreading or someone cannot escape safely. Review the product’s instructions and seek appropriate training rather than improvising during an emergency.
Use space heaters carefully
Home heating is another major concern in the regional release. The Red Cross recommends keeping at least three feet of clear space around heating equipment and never leaving a space heater unattended.
Place a heater on a level, hard, nonflammable surface. The release specifically warns against rugs, carpeting and locations near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from the unit.
Plug the heater directly into a wall outlet. The release says not to use an extension cord. Turn the heater off whenever you leave the room or go to sleep.
Before switching it on, look at the surrounding area. A heater that was clear earlier can become unsafe after someone sets down a blanket, moves a chair or leaves a bag nearby.
Review fireplace habits, too
The Red Cross advises using a glass or metal screen to contain embers and not leaving a fireplace fire unattended. Its release also says to make sure embers are extinguished before leaving home or going to bed.
Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home. That is another specific warning in the safety guidance.
Use Fire Prevention Week as a reminder to examine habits that may have become routine. A device can be familiar and still create a hazard when used carelessly.
A manageable checklist for this week
Divide the work into short tasks: test alarms, check their ages, clear the cooking area, review heater placement and practice the household escape plan. Assign a time for the drill so it actually happens.
Keep the plan simple enough that everyone can remember it. Review it when the household changes, when someone has different mobility needs or when furniture changes an exit route.
For additional resources, visit the Red Cross home fire safety page. For an active fire, leave safely and call 911 from outside.
Sources: American Red Cross Eastern New York Region release, “Fire Prevention Week: Red Cross offers ways to help keep loved ones safe and reduce your risk of a home fire,” emailed Oct. 1, 2026; Red Cross home fire safety resources.
Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration; not a documentary photograph.
