Ohio Sees Over 120 Fatalities in Preventable Residential Fires

Over 120 fatalities in Ohio have been attributed to preventable residential fires over the past year, according to emergency responders. These fires often result from people trying to re-enter burning homes, a mistake that can be deadly.

Jesse Baughman, an educator with the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office, notes that many of these fires involve multiple family members who fail to evacuate their home quickly enough. 'We never want anyone to go back into the home, so we want them to get out of the home and stay out,' said Ray Pace, Chief of the Howland Township Fire Department.

To address this issue, Home Depot's Safety Day event in partnership with the Howland Township Fire Department provided families with hands-on practice using fire extinguishers and fire hoses. The event also offered lessons at a fire safety open house, emphasizing the importance of evacuation plans for families and preventing fires from occurring in the first place.

'Kids have to do education and fire drills in our schools. But we don’t bring it home, and that’s where our fires are happening,' Baughman said. Fire officials stress that practicing safety procedures now can make them second nature in emergency situations.