Sunday morning, 17 people, including eight children, died in an apartment fire in the Bronx, New York. Twelve people, including eight children, were killed in a Philadelphia row home fire last Wednesday. A 69-year-old man died a house fire in Dauphin County last weekend.

The Philadelphia and New York fires were unusual because of the large number of people who tragically lost their lives. However, fatal fires unfortunately are still common, although there aren’t as many as years ago before smoke detectors were in most homes.

But keeping our homes safe from fire and being prepared should be a priority all the time and perhaps we need to be reminded.

Pennsylvania’s Acting Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook is on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to discuss fire safety.