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Keeping Family Safe From Fire

Two precious little children in Steubenville died with their mother when fire ravaged their home Sunday morning.

Amber Shope, 6, and her brother Terry Richardson, 10, perished in the flames. So did their mother, Debra Freeman. Father Terry Richardson Sr. was injured so badly he had to be taken to a hospital in Pittsburgh.

Perhaps nothing could have been done to prevent the fire or to protect the family. What caused the blaze may never be known, Steubenville Fire Chief Carlo Capaldi told a reporter. The house was so thoroughly destroyed that investigating the cause will be difficult.

We know there are steps we can take to minimize the danger of fire in our homes and apartments, however. We also know of precautions such as installing and maintaining smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that can alert us to blazes and other hazards. And we know of other ways we can protect ourselves and our families, such as ensuring everyone knows what do to in an emergency.

We know all these things. Reviewing them here is not necessary.

But how many of us follow the advice of safety experts? How many of us take the initial steps, such as installing smoke detectors? How many of us follow up by ensuring the equipment is functioning properly. How many of us watch for and deal with hazards such as overloaded circuits or improperly used extension cords?

Colder weather can make homes that were safe during the summer more hazardous, as heating equipment kicks on for the first time in months. The holidays mean additional risk as we plug in strings of colored lights and other decorations. How many of us take that into account?

We adults sometimes are critical of younger people for failing to understand certain risks. The kids think they are indestructible, we say.

Then we — and sometimes our children — fall victim to the very same misjudgment.

Don’t let it happen to you. Even more important, don’t let it happen to your beautiful children.

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