House fires lead the nation in loss of life, property and monetary damages. Psychological damages, medical care, temporary housing, loss of pets, disfigurement and lost income result in a far higher cost than is reflected by property alone. The saddest fact of all is that nearly all house fires are preventable with fire and smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, fire escape plans and education. Does this Spark an idea?
Geography
Six states lead the nation in the highest incidence of fire deaths with 25 deaths per million people per year. These are Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West VIrginia and Washington, DC. Fifteen states that are mostly in the Southeast have 14 to 25 deaths per million and 28 states are at 13 per million or below. Although outdoor fires make up 38 percent of total fires, these don't generally cause much damage or loss of life. One fifth of all fires responded to are vehicular fires. House fires are three times more prevalent than fires in other types of buildings due to the greater adherence to fire safety measures that public buildings must employ. Just three percent of deaths from fire occur in public buildings, while 76 percent occur in one- and two-family dwellings.
Types
The leading cause of residential fires is not smoking, as many believe, but cooking. Cooking accounts for 28 percent of all fires. Twenty-one percent of fires are caused deliberately by arson. The types of fire responsible for the most civilian fatalities are arson, which accounts for 28 percent of deaths by fire, and smoking, which causes 18 percent of deaths by fire. Candles, fireplaces and other open flames are also responsible for 18 percent of all fire fatalities. Arson is responsible for 17 percent of all deaths in fires. Smoke, rather than fire's flames, is responsible for 75 percent of all deaths by fire.
Identification
Fires deaths and losses can be broken down by age, race, gender, geography, socio-economic class and population. African-Americans have a much higher and disproportionate share of fire fatalities, accounting for 24 percent of all fire deaths. This is attributable to the fact that many more African Americans live in poverty and older homes than do other races. About twice as many men as women die in fires. Although the reasons for this statistic are not fully known, it is thought that the higher incidence of alcoholism among men, and the prevalence of industrial fire deaths have a strong influence on these figures. The rate of fire deaths in women jumps up to 28 percent for females over the age of 75. Arson and fires with unknown cause led to the highest death rate in 2004, and smoking followed closely with the second highest rate of fatalities. People who have physical or cognitive limitations, as well as older adults and children, are at a higher risk of death by fire than other groups are. Combined, these groups accounted for fully 46 percent of all fire fatalities in 2004 and approximately 22 percent of all fire injuries.
Expert Insight
The numbers for fire-related deaths and injuries, and even property losses, have been on a downward curve for many years now on a per capita basis. The greatest factor in this trend is thought to be smoke alarms, which are used in a higher percentage of homes each year. Sprinkler systems, especially in commercial buildings and apartments, have also helped. Other factors are higher fire code standards, better construction materials that have been created for fire protection, better community education and the higher standards of firefighter training and equipment used. The rate of arson in the US is staggering when compared to other countries as well, probably due in part to the many set for insurance payouts. Although deaths by fire have decreased significantly, there is still a two and a half times higher ratio compared to that of other industrialized nations. Switzerland, who has the lowest incidence of death by fire, has a rate of only 5.6 per million population as opposed to the United States' highest national rate of 17.1 percent per million.
Warning
The United States, despite all of the progress seen, still leads the industrialized world in fire incidence, damages and loss of lives. The areas of most concern are the high risk of the very young and the elderly (whose population is rising as the Baby Boomers reach retirement age). Particular ethnic groups, including African Americans and American Indians, have a much higher rate of deaths and injuries by fire than does the rest of the population. The fact that individual states have made remarkable changes in their fire statistics shows that fire prevention is possible and that all states should follow suit. Rhode Island, the smallest state, had the highest rate of fire fatalities in 2003 and the lowest in 2004. Delaware, on the other hand, had the lowest rate of fire deaths in 2000 to one of the highest in 2001. Fire prevention is something that requires ongoing efforts and vigilance in education and the implementation and adherence to fire safety codes. The southeast has the highest incidence of death fatalities from fire and has held that sad distinction for many years. Generally states that are grouped together have similar numbers.
Prevention/Solution
The key to prevention is education and public awareness. Smoke detectors should be installed on every floor of your home and particular attention should be paid to bedroom areas. Test smoke detectors monthly, keep them clean and replace their batteries yearly. Fire extinguishers need to be put into the kitchen, workshop and garage and an ABC type which is good for all types of fire is recommended. Know use fire extinguishers before there's a fire and only use these on small fires. If a fire is large, just leave the house and call 911. Many, many deaths occur because people choose to stay inside to try and fight fires. For more information on preventing fires, use the URLs below.
Effects
The total estimated cost of fire to our society is a nearly unimaginable 165 billion dollars per year. This figure includes the cost of paid fire departments, the costs incurred for volunteer fire departments, the cost of losses, injuries, and insurance as well as the cost of fire protection added to existing and new structures. Economically, the costs of fire has a huge impact on our nation and the implications of reducing these numbers would have far reaching and positive implications.
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