BETHLEHEM, Pa. — As a health reporter, I often report on ways to prepare for an unexpected disaster.
But recently my own family fell victim to one.
My experience came just as Lehigh Valley safety officials are sounding the alarm to make sure people are prepared in the instance that flames flare up in their homes.
The National Fire Protection Association says that as the temperature drops, the number of house fires increases.
The Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter, which covers a nine-county area that includes the Lehigh Valley, said it had double-digit fires in the Lehigh Valley and Berks County last week, in the span of about five days.
It has seen 25 home fires from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.
Smelling smoke from your bed
The night before Christmas Eve, I started the dishwasher and went to bed. A few minutes later I smelled something unusual and moments later my smoke detectors were sounding.
When we ran out to the kitchen, our dishwasher had caught fire and flames were licking the cabinet above.
Luckily, we keep a fire extinguisher in the house and we were able to extinguish the flames on our own.
We called the local fire department, which came out and checked for any residual flames. We were able to go home that night, but were displaced because of smoke damage.
Although it was scary, if it wasn't for working smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher handy, the outcome may have been very different for my family.
I cannot stress the importance of being prepared for this type of incident and having these tools in your home.
“The single most important outcome from any home fire is everyone safe and alive and outside of the building that's on fire. Everything else can be taken care of.”Peter Brown, executive director of the Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter
Our fire was because of a faulty control panel that was recalled, but that message never made its way to us.
Peter Brown, executive director of the Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter, said it best:
“The single most important outcome from any home fire is everyone safe and alive and outside of the building that's on fire.
"Everything else can be taken care of.”
