During Fire Prevention Week, the American Red Cross says it's important to have a fire safety plan

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 p