Joliet fire chief says today’s home fires are deadlier than 50 years ago

Joliet has experienced a recent string of house fires, including one at the Patrick Haley mansion Feb. 1. Joliet Fire Department Chief Jeff Carey said most are cooking-related.

And the number of fire-related deaths is going up, he added.

“The fires burn so much faster today,” Carey said.

Carey said more home furnishings in the 1970s were made of cotton and other natural fibers. Today, more items contain petroleum in lacquers and synthetic materials in clothing and furniture, he said.

“Petroleum, once it heats up, basically turns back into gas,” Carey said. “It basically turns into a big room of gas.”

Carey said petroleum creates more heat, more deadly smoke and severely limits the window for escape. In the 1970s, it took half an hour for fire to engulf a room, he said.

“Today, that room takes two and a half minutes,” Carey said.

In winter, common causes of house fires are space heaters and overloading electrical circuits, Carey said. In summer, fires often are caused by grills too close to the house.

According to the National Fire Protection Association’s website, the top causes of fires are cooking, heating, electrical, smoking and candles. People with disabilities and older adults are at particular risk.

Carey said families should practice EDITH: Exit Drills in the Home. People should know where the exits are, how to exit safely in the event of fire and where to meet once outside.

People who live or sleep on the second floor or higher and cannot exit through the door should open a window, crawl partially outside and make plenty of noise, Carey said. They also should keep a portable rope ladder near the window, he said.

Carey said the Joliet Fire Department YouTube page has short fire safety videos people can watch.

The Plainfield Fire Department District offers a number of programs and services to keep residents safe, make them aware of fire hazards and to prevent emergencies, fire marshal Ryan Angelus said.

“We help the citizens with smoke detectors, changing the batteries or, if they purchase new ones, we can help put them up,” Angelus said.

No charge to the residents.

“Just a smile,” Angelus said.

The Plainfield Fire Protection District participates in community events by providing materials on kitchen safety, outdoor fire safety, grill safety, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, Angelus said. Firefighters also go into local schools and talk with students about fire safety, Angelus said.

During the holidays, the Plainfield Fire Protection District also participates in “Keep the Wreath Red,” fire safety program to raise awareness of holiday fire hazards, such as overloaded outlets, frayed or damaged cords to lights and decorations, and dried-out live trees, Angelus said.

All four district stations hang a wreath with red lights on its door. If a fire is caused by anything related to the holidays, a red light is removed and replaced with a white one, Angelus said.

“And I’m happy to stay that this year we kept the wreath red,” Angelus said.

Be part of the solution - help install free smoke alarms on March 18 in Joliet

The Red Cross “Sound the Alarm” program puts free smoke alarms in people’s homes with the help of volunteers. Nationwide, more than 1,000 lives have been saved from a Red Cross-installed smoke alarm since 2016, said Brian McDaniel, executive director of the Romeoville-based American Red Cross Illinois River Valley chapter.

In the Illinois River Valley chapter, the Red Cross has certified that people had their lives saved due to a Red Cross smoke alarm, McDaniel said.

“The most recent one in our chapter was in Streator, a 92-year-old woman,” McDaniel said.

The next “Sound the Alarm” event will be held March 18. The Red Cross will work with the Joliet Fire Department and East Joliet Fire Protection District to install 350 smoke detectors – for free – in one day, McDaniel said.

“There are more deaths as a result of home fires in the United States than all other national disasters combined,” McDaniel said. “And the best way to protect oneself from a home fire is to have a working smoke detector. It decreases the number of deaths literally by half.”

Although volunteers can register at the event, McDaniel said it’s best to pre-register for smoother planning. Volunteers don’t need previous experience with installing smoke alarms. They will be trained on-site. Bilingual volunteers, especially bilingual volunteers who speak Spanish, “will really help us a lot,” McDaniel said.

“We try to put at least one Spanish speaker in every one of our teams,” McDaniel said. “So when we get into a home, we are able to talk with clients in a culturally credible way.”

To sign up for a free smoke alarm installation appointment, visit tinyurl.com/JolietILSmokeAlarms or call 1-833-422-1751.

To volunteer to install smoke alarms, contact VolunteerIllinois@redcross.org.