Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department starts smoke-alarm campaign

Don’t be alarmed if a firefighter knocks on your door this weekend.

The Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department and American Red Cross begin a campaign Saturday to install smoke alarms and spread safety messages. Firefighters will be going door-to-door in Beaufort and Port Royal neighborhoods every other Saturday.

Most of the visits will be between 10 a.m. and noon, though some firefighters could be available in the afternoons.

South Carolina had 78 fire-related deaths in 2010, and more than 50 percent of those cases did not include a working smoke alarm, according to a news release.

Beaufort County’s fire deaths last year included a woman killed in Shell Point and an 85-year-old woman who died in a Hilton Head Island house fire.

Residents who want to schedule an appointment to receive a smoke alarm or a safety check may call 843-525-7055 or email city-fire@cityofbeaufort.org.

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department starts smoke-alarm campaign."