WASHINGTON — In the first nine days of the new year, Red Cross volunteers responded to nearly 60 percent more house fires than last year.

“We’re just seeing a huge volume increase of residential fires,” said Paul Carden with the American Red Cross National Capital Region.

In the 36 years he has been with the Red Cross, he hasn’t seen anything like it before.

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“It’s an unprecedented volume of activity for me personally,” Carden said.

He said it’s hard to pinpoint the reasons for the uptick in fires in the D.C. area and across the nation, but according to the Red Cross, colder temperatures are often linked to a rise in house fires.

The spike in residential fires makes it more imperative for smoke alarms to be installed into homes, so the Red Cross has partnered with fire departments to do just that.

They are going door-to-door installing free smoke alarms as part of the MLK Day of Service weekend.

[related_gallery align=”right”]The Red Cross’ Home Fire Campaign began in 2014 and focuses on installing free smoke alarms in neighborhoods that are at greater risk for fires.

“The one variable that we can really control is putting that smoke alarm in a house and teaching people how to maintain it,” Carden said.

Carden said that aside from installing smoke alarms, the educational component is vital. They spend time talking with the families about fire safety, evacuation plans and what should and shouldn’t be done in case of a fire.

Check out tips on how to prevent house fires and other fire safety tips from the Red Cross.