Two minutes. That is how long you may have to get out of your house from the time a fire starts until the home is fully engulfed, said Red Cross Disaster Program Manager Debra Davis.

Monday, the Red Cross and the Vicksburg Fire Department worked to install free smoke alarms in 20 homes in Vicksburg, mostly in the Marcus Bottom area, as part of the Red Cross’s goal of installing 8,000 smoke alarms throughout Mississippi this year.

The program’s goal is to reduce the loss of life and property due to fires by 25 percent in the next five years, Davis said. Along with installing the smoke alarms, the Red Cross works to educate the homeowners about fire safety while visiting their home.

The firefighters installed the smoke alarms and recommended having at least three in your home, including one by each bedroom and one in a common area preferably near the kitchen.

“You could be asleep. You could be outside,” firefighter John Hogan said. “These smoke detectors, especially these new ones, are very loud. They alert you as soon as a potential problem develops.”

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there were 3,362 deaths caused by house fires in 2015, the most recent years from which numbers were available. Of those deaths, three out of five occur in homes without smoke alarms according to the USFA and your risk of dying in a fire is cut in half if you have smoke alarms in your home.

A smoke alarm may look simple and unimportant hanging on the wall, but it is the easiest way to save your life if a fire does occur in your house.

Smoke alarms typically need to be replaced every 10 years and will have a printed date of manufacture on the back according to the USFA.

As part of the installation process, Davis and the Red Cross also worked to educate residents on how to plan for a fire such as having an escape plan you practice once a month.

Having a plan and making sure your smoke alarms are working are the best way to stay safe and stay alive if a fire occurs in your home.