Red Cross volunteer uses experience with fire to help others

SALT LAKE CITY — Red Cross workers routinely respond to fire. But they don’t typically expect to be the ones in need of assistance.

Sarah Marshall, the community disaster program manager with the American Red Cross of Utah, lost her Roy home in a fire last month. The fire chief told Marshall a swollen lithium-ion battery likely exploded, causing the fire. 

‘We probably would have only had about 20 seconds’

Marshall has responded to house fires many times, but she never expected to be on the other end of that work. On Saturday, June 13, she and her family were on a camping trip two hours away when, shockingly, she saw her own address pop up on her phone’s emergency app.

No one was home at the time. And by the time they arrived at the house, it was too late — everything was destroyed. Although their physical belongings were still intact, Marshall said they were unsalvageable from the soot and ash.

She described that moment as both surreal and scary, but said it was important for her to stay calm so she could be there for her kids. As devastating as it was, Marshall considered her family lucky.

“It’s sobering to hear from the fire chief that had we been home when the battery exploded, we probably would have only had about 20 seconds and that any living thing in that house when it went off probably would not have made it out alive.”

House fire touches Red Cross volunteer

The cause of the battery explosion remains unknown, but these batteries are found in everyday devices such as smartphones, laptops, e-bikes, and portable power banks. She hopes to use her house fire experience and her Red Cross role to teach people to take precautions that can prevent these kinds of accidents from happening.

Her best advice to ensure safety in your home is to make sure your fire alarm is working properly and operating with healthy batteries. She said anyone who doesn’t have a fire alarm can contact the American Red Cross directly, and the organization will install it for free.

The Red Cross also recommends testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing two-minute fire escape drills. Plan ahead for how you will get out of the house in two minutes or less, including where you will reunite with family members afterward.

‘Humbled and grateful’ for the community

In the difficult days following the accident, the community came together and provided support for Marshall and her family.

“I am very humbled and grateful for the community,” she said. “You always have that little, I guess, that insecurity of, you know, if this were to happen to me, would people show up, you know, would people help me. I’m very grateful to be part of a community that stepped up and helped us when we were in need.”

She said the power of community is a strong force, and one that others in her town came to rely on who, unfortunately, found themselves in the same boat.

On July 13, sparks from the railroad tracks in Roy ignited a moving brush fire that spanned almost two miles. The damage was devastating – three homes were destroyed, and several others were damaged. 

Marshall said that in that moment, she responded as a member of the community, not a Red Crosser.

Fires have been ravaging Utah during these dry, summer months, and the season is far from over, Marshall said. She emphasized the importance of not only physical precautions but also of coming together in times of need and being a proactive member of your community.

Read more: 

• Where you can and can’t light personal fireworks this Pioneer Day
• Feds, state officials probe Roy fire that torched 3 homes, but quiet for now on cause
• Red Cross urges fireworks caution ahead of holidays