Why talk about residential fires?
According to the National Safety Counsel, fire was the fifth leading cause of unintentional death due to injury in the United States in 2004 Fires and burns also rank as the third leading cause of unintentional home injury and death for children under the age of 15.
About 82 percent of all fire deaths in 2004 resulted from home fires. A disproportionate share of fatal fires occurs at night when people are likely to be less alert. Half of home fire deaths in 1999-2002 result from fires reported between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.Most structure fires are preventable, including arson fires. Half (51 percent) of the people arrested in 2003 for arson were under 18 years of age. With education and counseling, firesetting behavior can be prevented or deterred.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in the year 2004, home fires killed 3,190 people in reported home fires in the United States-roughly nine people per day. In addition, thousands of people were injured, many of them hospitalized for severe burns, and some disfigured for life. Fatal victims are disproportionately young children or older adults. Onequarter of the fire-related deaths of children under age give resulted from children playing with fire.
Asphyxiation kills two to three times as many people as burns. Fire consumes the oxygen in the air, while increasing the concentration of deadly carbon monoxide and other toxic gases in the atmosphere. Inhaling carbon monoxide can cause loss of consciousness or death within minutes.
The heat from a major fire exceeds anything to which a person is normally exposed. A fully developed room fire has temperatures over 1,100° F (593° C).
How can I protect myself from residential fire?
The most effective way to protect yourself and your home from fire is to prevent a fire from starting. Identifying and eliminating fire hazards in and around your home are your first line of defense.
If a fire should start in your home, smoke alarms can be the difference between safety and catastrophe. Install smoke alarms on every level of the home and outside each sleeping area. Make sure everyone knows the sound of the smoke alarms. For best protection, install interconnected smoke alarms in each bedroom and throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound. The risk of dying from reported fires in homes without working smoke alarms is twice as high as in homes that have working smoke alarms. Most fire victims die from inhalation of smoke and toxic gases, not as a result of burns. Half of the deaths and injuries caused by fire occur in fires that happen at night while
It is imperative that all members of a household be thoroughly familiar with what to do in case of fire. Fires produce thick, dark smoke that irritates the eyes and breathing passages and can cause confusion. People who have become disoriented in fires have been found in closets,stairwells, and laundry rooms, thinking they were exits. It is impossible to navigate through such smoke, so fire escape routes should include at least two exits from every room-a primary route and a secondary route to use in case the primary route is blocked. Planning escape routes and physically practicing before a fire can save your life.
