The American Red Cross of Utah responded to 154 home fires in 2025 while helping 728 people with emergency assistance, the organization share in a recent northern Utah report.
Over the past six years, the Red Cross has responded to more than 1,000 house fires, which has sparked a greater need for community support and fire preparedness.
“Home fires are the most frequent disaster we respond to, and they leave families displaced and in urgent need of help,” said Michael Smauldon, executive director of the American Red Cross Northern Utah Chapter. “Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and the generosity of our donors, we’re able to provide immediate relief and ongoing recovery assistance to families in crisis.”
Kitchen mishaps lead to most home fires
House fires are usually started by everyday objects that people don’t always think about, the organization said.
“Kitchen fires are some of the most common,” said Heidi Ruster, CEO for the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region, said in a phone interview. “People just aren’t thinking about the amount of oil they’re using or watching the stove or the oven.”
House fires also increase by about 10% during the winter, since people are plugging in heating appliances and overloading circuits, Ruster said. Space heaters are also a big one to pay attention to, since they may not be plugged in correctly, or they could be near flammable material.
Ruster recommends making sure heating elements are at least three feet away from anything that may catch fire.
Sound the Alarm campaign continues
Through the Sound the Alarm campaign, the Red Cross seeks to decrease home fire deaths and injuries by installing free smoke alarms and by educating families on fire safety.
The program is year-round, but a Sound the Alarm event is set to take place March 28 in West Valley City, where Red Cross officials and volunteers aim to assist around 150 homes with fire preparedness by installing up to three alarms and helping with emergency plans.
Volunteers will stop by each house that makes an appointment to help them be “Red Cross Ready.”
“It’s the idea of being informed, making a plan and having a kit,” Ruster said. “It’s only two minutes you have to get out of a house, so people have to be prepared accordingly.”
To be prepared for this, Sound the Alarm volunteers give graphs of each house with a plan to evacuate during a house fire, and direct households to practice this plan once or twice a year, or when they check their smoke alarms, which is recommended monthly.
Go kits are also important, Ruster says. A go kit in a car is helpful since there is such little time to escape a house fire. Ruster recommends the Red Cross Emergency app, which has kit ideas tailored to different kinds of disasters.
The app also gives preparedness tips and gives notifications if there is a nearby storm or earthquake. It also helps users keep tabs on other locations to be aware of loved ones who may live far away.
The app is available for Apple and Android.
Community members encouraged to join Red Cross efforts
Ruster says the Red Cross is always looking for more volunteers to help with different needs.
With needs such as people to respond to fires, dispatch for fires, follow up with victims, opening shelters and many other various tasks, there’s always something to do, she said.
“We need a good, deep bench of volunteers to respond, because they’re not all available at the same time,” Ruster said.
While some tasks hold certain requirements, if you want to help, there is a spot for you to volunteer. If time is holding you back, sign up for one shift a week or a month. You can also sign up for individual events, if you don’t want any consistent schedule commitments.
Additional volunteer information can be found here.