BATON ROUGE — This week is Fire Prevention Week and the American Red Cross of Louisiana is urging families to take steps to safeguard their loved ones as home fire deaths rise statewide. 

So far this year, Louisiana has seen more home fire fatalities than in all of 2024. The Red Cross says it is more important than ever to test your smoke alarms every month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.

“Home fires can occur at a moment’s notice,” Kenneth St. Charles, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Louisiana, said. “The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. With the tragic rise in fire-related deaths this year, we want every household to take simple lifesaving steps now: test your alarms, practice your plan and heat your home safely as colder weather sets in.”

This year, local Red Cross teams have responded to more than 920 home fires, providing financial assistance to more than 3,000 Louisianans.

Disaster Programs Specialist Damyionee Brown Jones visited 2une In on Tuesday to discuss keeping families safe and how to mitigate home fire deaths.