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Facts on
Fire (Source: FEMA)
Fire in the United States
- The U.S. has one of the highest fire death rates in the industrialized
world.
- About 5,000 people die every year in this country as the result of
fire, and another 25,500 are injured.
- About 100 firefighters are killed annually in duty-related incidents.
- Each year, fire kills more Americans than all natural disasters
combined.
- Fire is the third leading cause of accidental death in the home; at
least 80 percent of all fire deaths occur in residences.
- More than 2 million fires are reported each year. Many others go
unreported, causing additional injuries and property loss.
- Direct property loss due to fires is estimated at $9.4 billion
annually.
Causes of Fires and Fire Deaths
- Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. It is also the
leading cause of fire injuries. Cooking fires often result from unattended
cooking and human error, rather than mechanical failure of stoves or
ovens.
- Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths. Smoke detectors
and smolder-resistant bedding and upholstered furniture are significant
fire deterrents.
- Heating is the second leading cause of residential fires and ties with
arson as the second leading cause of fire deaths. However, heating fires
are a larger problem in single family homes than in apartments. Unlike
apartments, the heating systems in single family homes are often not
professionally maintained.
- Arson is the third leading cause of residential fires and a leading
cause of residential fire deaths. In commercial properties, arson is the
major cause of deaths, injuries, and dollar loss.
Who is most at risk
- Senior citizens and children under the age of five have the greatest
risk of fire death.
- The fire death risk among seniors is more than double the average
population.
- The fire death risk for children under age five is nearly double the
risk of the average population.
- Children under the age of ten accounted for an estimated 20 percent of
all fire deaths in 1995.
- Over 30 percent of the fires that kill young children are started by
children playing with fire.
- Men die or are injured in fires twice as often as women.
What Saves Lives
- A working smoke alarm
dramatically increases a person’s chance of surviving a fire.
- Approximately 90 percent of
U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm. However, these alarms are not
always properly maintained and as a result might not work in an emergency.
There has been a disturbing increase over the last ten years in the number
of fires that occur in homes with non-functioning alarms.
- It is estimated that over 40
percent of residential fires and three-fifths of residential fatalities
occur in homes with no smoke alarms.
- Residential sprinklers have
become more cost effective for homes. Currently, few homes are protected
by them.
Last Updated: September 8, 1998
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Revised:
04/22/03
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