BALTIMORE (WJZ)– Fires kill people across the country each year including citizens in Baltimore. On Saturday, the city fire department hit the streets to make homes safer.

Kai Jackson has more.

The city fire department conducted a massive fire sweep. They gave away and even installed smoke detectors to those who needed them.

“I think that this is wonderful,” Paulette McNeil said. “I think it’s wonderful that it’s being done.”

Last week, a fire inside a house in East Baltimore killed an elderly person. Investigators say the house didn’t have working smoke detectors.

The fire department says residents should have a working smoke detector on each level of your home.

“We want to make sure that if you have elderly relatives, friends living near you, that make sure they also have working smoke alarms,” Chief Jim Clack of the Baltimore City Fire Department said.

The fire department has put a big emphasis on supplying smoke detectors to the elderly. It’s estimated 1,000 elderly people die in fires across the United States each year.

“We’re making progress,” Clack said. “We’re making the city safer, but we need your help to make sure every house in this city has a working smoke alarm.”

Fires have killed five people in Baltimore this year. If you need a smoke detector, you can call 311 and get one for free.