Portland, Ore., April 16, 2019 - The Red Cross Cascades Region will hold a Sound the Alarm event on April 27 in Woodburn with Woodburn Fire District during a two-week national effort to install 100,000 free smoke alarms.

Home fires kill seven people every day in the U.S.—most often, in homes without working smoke alarms. To prevent needless tragedies in Woodburn, the Red Cross, Oregon State Fire Marshal, Woodburn Fire District, Fred Meyer and Leatherman are rallying local volunteers to install free smoke alarms as part of a national push of Sound the Alarm events in 100 high-risk cities from April 27 to May 12 (visit SoundTheAlarm.org for details).

WHAT: Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation event in Woodburn, where volunteers will canvass neighborhoods to install free smoke alarms and help families create home fire escape plans.

WHERE:  Woodburn Fire Station – 1776 Newberg Hwy., Woodburn, OR 97071

WHEN:  Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 8:30am

WHO:  Local Red Cross volunteers, Woodburn Fire District representatives and more

Sound the Alarm events are part of the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross launched in 2014 to reduce fire deaths and injuries. So far, it has reached more than 1.7 million people and saved more than 520 lives nationwide. The Red Cross Cascades Region and local partners have:

• Installed more than 25,000 free smoke alarms
• Made more 8,000 households safer
• Reached more than 20,000 children through youth preparedness programs

Home fires also account for the majority of disasters that the Red Cross responds to every eight minutes in the U.S. Visit redcross.org/cascades to learn more about our work.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossCasc.

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