Fire kills more Americans every year than all natural disasterscombined.

That information comes from the United States FireAdministration, a branch of the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency, which keeps tabs on such things.

Here’s more. Every year in this country, more than 5,000 peopledie in fires, over 25,000 are injured, and direct property loss isestimated at over $9 billion.

Another startling fact: Over 80 percent of fire deaths occur inthe home.

That literally hit close to home last week when a Brookhavencouple barely escaped a house fire. Charles and Bette Dixon ofMeadowbrook Drive were awakened by a fire alarm in the early hoursof Wednesday morning. As they attempted to flee the burning house,their fire exit was blocked by flames. They escaped through awindow.

Brookhaven Fire Chief Paul Cartwright summed up the situationthis way:

“If it hadn’t been for the smoke detectors, the homeowners wouldnever have got out.”

While one fire death would still be too many, officials agreethat smoke alarms have done more than anything in recent years toreduce the number of fire fatalities. According to the USFA, in the1960s, the average U. S. citizen had never heard of a smoke alarm.By 1995, an estimated 93 percent of all American homes — single,multi-family, apartments, nursing homes, dormitories, etc. — wereequipped with alarms.

Fire Departments and firefighters — including those inBrookhaven and Lincoln County — have played a major role inalerting the public to the benefits of smoke alarms. When firebreaks out, the smoke alarm, functioning as an early warningsystem, reduces the risk of dying by nearly 50 percent. In short:alarms are most people’s first line of defense against fire.

Smoke alarms can be purchased at just about every department,drug or hardware store. If you don’t have one in every room of yourhouse, we join firefighters in encouraging you to install them.They cost about $10 each. That’s a small price to pay for yourfamily’s safety.