LOS ANGELES, NOVEMBER 20, 2018 –  With many families affected by wildfires unable to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at home, the American Red Cross urges families in Los Angeles and Ventura counties to focus on home fire safety this weekend.

Thanksgiving is one of the leading days for home cooking fires. You can help protect yourself and loved ones from home fires—the nation’s most frequent disaster—by testing your smoke alarms and practicing your escape plan with free resources from the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign (redcross.org/homefires).

“Families can prevent tragedy by reviewing their escape plans, testing their smoke alarms, even talking about home fire preparedness at the Thanksgiving table,” said Guillermo Sanchez, Preparedness and Resiliency Manager for the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region.

The Red Cross responds to over 64,000 disasters every year, the majority of which are home fires. As Red Cross workers continue to provide recovery services to those affected by the Woolsey and Hill wildfires, additional volunteers are standing by throughout the weekend to respond to new disasters.

You can help people affected by disasters like wildfires and countless other crises by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information about the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region, please visit redcross.org/la or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA or @CruzRojaLA.