Katie Couric's Notebook: After The Bronx Fire
Video: A Bronx neighborhood is struggling with tragic loss, after a fire swept through a home, killing nine children and one adult. It was New York City's worst fire in 17 years.
It is especially heartbreaking because it might have been prevented. The blaze was sparked by a space heater. And batteries were missing from the home's smoke alarms.
By one estimate, someone dies in a fire every 2 hours...four out of five occur in homes. But we can do a lot to make sure we don't become a statistic.
Smoke alarms reduce the chance of dying in a fire by nearly ONE-HALF. The Fire Administration recommends changing alarm batteries at least once a year, perhaps when you reset your clocks, as we did last weekend. And run a fire drill in your home so your family is prepared.
New York's mayor said the fire was "one small building, but one very large tragedy." Let's try to prevent another one.
That's a page from my Notebook.