Last week, the American Red Cross was at the scene of a horrific Queens fire in which two young boys perished, devastating a family and shaking an entire community. Unfortunately, wrenching scenes like this occur on an alarming basis in the New York City area. Every day the Red Cross volunteer workforce races to up to 25 home and apartment fires, aiding our neighbors who may have just escaped with their lives and lost everything. Too often, we meet families who painfully realize how common the threat of fires are in this region, and that there are steps that can be taken to help minimize the tragic impact of a home fire.