Red Cross of Northern Nevada responded to two home fires over the weekend.

This past weekend, the American Red Cross of Northern Nevada responded to two house fires. They sent volunteers to the homes and offered aid like food, water, and whatever those affected needed. 

Structure fires pose immense danger, whether it's an apartment, single, or multi-unit home.

The Red Cross of Northern Nevada has teams like the Disaster Action Team to respond in the event of a disaster. 

Bridgit Posson, the chapter's executive director, says, "We really are there for comfort and care is the first thing. This is a disaster affecting that family. And we want to make sure that we are there for them. And then also the other part of that is offering resources towards the next step of recovery."

When it comes to offering recovery, the team has multiple resources to help.

"We offer water and snacks. If it were to be a situation such as the Davis Fire, where we needed to offer an overnight option, then we would open that evacuation shelter," said Posson. "And we work with other community partners to provide meals, places for pets, and just somewhere to be, somewhere to be safe."

In addition to what the Red Cross does to aid those in need, the Sparks Fire Department touched on some helpful prevention tips for the community to help defend their home against a house fire. 

Fire Chief Walter White spoke on those tips, "You want to reduce the clutter and the housekeeping and do the maintenance things that will help reduce the chances of fire, like having your chimney inspected or cleaned up, making sure that you change the smoke alarm batteries."

Chief White added, "This time of year, when people move inside, they start using their heater more. And if it hasn't been exercised in a while, sometimes just running off the dust that's in there will create a smell of smoke, set off smoke detectors."

"It is highly recommended that you have them serviced and you take care of that maintenance and the housekeeping. Be mindful of your electrical cords and cooking, not leaving things unattended on the stove or even just candles left unattended, can easily create a fire inside a home." 

Both organizations encourage the community to have emergency evacuation plans and a go-bag or kit packed with the necessities in the case of an emergency.Â