Want to cut your risk of dying in a home fire in half? Make sure you have working smoke alarms in your home.

“Home fires can be a deadly threat because they happen so quickly,” said Michele Liberty, Maui Red Cross director.

“We are urging Maui residents to ensure that they have working smoke alarms in their homes.”

On Saturday, Sept. 30, in Lahaina, Napili and Kahana, a group of Maui Red Cross volunteers will install free smoke alarms in homes in need and share fire safety information as part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign.

Volunteers will also visit Lanai the same day and South Maui on Oct. 7.

Smoke alarm installations are by appointment only; call 244-0051 and leave a message at the Maui Red Cross.

The Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes, and the vast majority are home fires.

In the United States, home fires kill more people each year than all other natural disasters combined.

Working with fire departments and community groups across the country, the American Red Cross installs smoke alarms in homes in neighborhoods at high risk for home fires.

In the last two years, more than 500,000 smoke alarms have been installed as part of the Home Fire Campaign.

The Red Cross also encourages homeowners to place smoke alarms on every level of their home, including inside and outside bedrooms, and test the alarms once a month.

Families should also have a clear fire escape plan, because people may only have two short minutes to escape when a deadly fire occurs.

Great resources are available on the Red Cross Emergency App. Be prepared for disasters to help protect your family.