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Fires

Residential Fire | Forest Fire

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In the past:

From July 1, 1992 to June 30, 2003, the Tompkins County Chapter of the American Red Cross responded to 258 fires in Tompkins county. This made up 83.8% of the total disaster responses the Chapter responded to.

Notable historical fires in Tompkins County include:

• November 13, 1900: Cornell University's Vet School
• January, 1912: Ithaca High School
• March, 1959: 322-328 College Avenue, Ithaca
• October 28, 1966: New Ithaca High School
• January 6, 1992: 3 businesses and 15 homes on the 400 block of N. Cayuga Street
• September 1996: the Eco Village, Ithaca
• January 1998: 132-134 West State Street, Ithaca; 12-16 East Main Street, Trumansburg
• October 2003: Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services (CARS)

Risk to Tompkins County residents

Home fires are the most common disaster in the United States. According to the National Fire Protection Association, a fire department responds to a fire somewhere in the USA every 20 seconds, and in the year 2002, 2,670 people were killed in home fires! Tompkins County is no exception: residential fires are all too common.

There are many ways to reduce your risk of a house fire, including proper maintenance of chimneys and furnaces, as well as proper storage of chemicals. Reducing injury and property loss in the event of a fire can be achieved with smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and escape plans.

How to prepare

• Have your emergency supply kit ready, and review your family communication plan.
• Keep smoke detectors in every bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and at least one on each level of your home. Make sure they're in working order:
  • Test the detectors monthly by pressing and holding the "test" button.
  • Change batteries regularly. A good way to remember is to change the batteries when you change your clocks for daylight savings time.
  • Smoke detectors only have a useful life of ten years. After that, they will not perform properly. Replace them every ten years!
• Place signs or stickers in windows to identify where children sleep. Also indicate how many pets you have, and of what kind. These will make it easier for firefighters to find family members.
• Make sure your house is easily identified. Contact your local fire department to find where to buy large, reflective house number signs.
• Consider escape ladders for second- or third-story bedrooms.
• Hold practice drills of escape plans.
  • Have at least two escape routes from each room.
  • Practice crawling low. Smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death in fires; crawling along the floor will reduce the amount of smoke you are exposed to.
  • Practice taking pets along with you in your drill.
  • Have a set meeting point outside.
• If your home catches fire and you cannot get out, keep your door closed, open a window for ventilation, and signal firefighters.

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Forest Fire

In the past:

Wildfires are rare in Tompkins County. Thanks mainly to population distribution, any forest fires could be spotted and dealt with quickly. There have been no serious forest fires on record for many years.

Risk to Tompkins County residents:

Risks of wildfires vary, depending on weather conditions. If the spring and summer have been dry, the risk for wildfire is high. Additionally, your personal risk will be higher if your home is located in a forest or wooded area.

Most wildfires occur because of careless human behavior: throwing a lit cigarette out the car window, where it could ignite dry leaves by the roadside, not extinguishing campfires properly, not keeping an eye on fires, and so on. Of course, lightning is another cause of wildfires, but four out of five forest fires are caused by humans. Please take great care with fire when in the woods!

How to prepare:

• Above all, never leave a burning fire -- even a cigarette -- unattended!
• Have your emergency supply kit ready, and review your family communication plan.
• Make sure your driveway is clear and your house is easily identified. A clear driveway means you can escape and fire personnel can get in.
• Try to keep a water source available. A swimming pool, cistern, well, or creek could be useful. Also, outdoor water taps should be freeze-proofed, and a long garden hose should be kept on hand.
• Keep household tools that can be used for fire control: rakes, shovels, buckets, etc.
• Adjust your landscaping. Trim trees and shrubs, keep weeds down, and build fire breaks (open areas that will be difficult for fire to cross). Remember also that fire moves faster up a hill than down a hill.

 

Additional Resources

Residential fire:

National Disaster Education Coalition Guide to residential fire prevention and safety.

American Red Cross - fire safety advice.

The US fire Administration - Protecting Your Family From Fire

The National Fire Protection Association - A good source for more information, news, codes, and more.

Forest Fire:

National Disaster Education Coalition - Guide to wildfire safety and preparedness.

American Red Cross - advice on wildfires prevention and preparation.

The National Fire Protection Association - A good source for more information, news, codes, and more.

Fire-Safe Landscaping Can Save Your Home," a fact sheet from the United States Fire Administration.