American Red Cross Assisting Southbury Families Displaced by Fire

Update: The American Red Cross is helping two adults with emergency food and clothing needs after a fire Friday on Bagley Road in Southbury. Red Cross volunteers Amy Thomas and John Lennon responded to assist the residents.

The Red Cross is also providing comfort kits containing personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant, shaving supplies and other items a resident might not have been able to gather in the rush to escape the fire. Also provided was an envelope of information helpful to families recovering from a fire, including tips on cleanup; notification of important contacts; dealing with damaged items and more.

Original post: A Southbury homeowner was outside while his house at 261 Bagley Road burst into flames Friday afternoon.

His two cats and a dog were stuck inside. What did he do? He ran back inside and helped them get to safety out of a second story window, reports Bill Bittar, of the Republican-American.

The house sustained damaged in the fire, and the cold temperatures complicated firefighters’ efforts.

The Oxford Fire Department assisted.

Read the full Rep-Am article and click on the link here to view a photo from today’s fire.

PREVENT HOME FIRES:

The American Red Cross has launched a campaign to reduce deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25% in five years. There are two actions you can take to substantially reduce the risk of death or injury in a home fire.

Install smoke alarms: Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a fire in half. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home inside bedrooms and sleeping areas.

Practice fire drills at home: Fire experts agree that you may have as little as 2 minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late to get out. Use this Home Fire Escape Plan worksheet to plan your evacuation and practice it at least twice a year as a family.

Learn more about the Red Cross home fire prevention campaign.

American Red Cross disaster assistance is free of charge, a gift made possible by generous donations and the work of volunteers. For more information about the Red Cross and how you can help, visit www.redcross.org.