Home Fire Safety  and Education

TOP 5 FIRE CAUSES

Cooking

Cooking is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries and the second leading cause of home fire deaths. Cooking caused 49 percent of reported home fires, 20 percent of reported home fire deaths, and 42 percent of home fire injuries. That's 173,200 fires a year


Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.



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Heating


Heating is the second leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, and the third leading cause of home fire deaths. Local fire departments responded to an estimated average of 48,530 fires involving heating equipment per  year , accounting for 14% of all reported home fires during this time. These fires resulted in annual losses of 500 civilian deaths, 1,350 civilian injuries, and $1.1 billion in direct property damage.



Heating fire facts

  • Most home heating fire deaths (81%) involved stationary or portable space heaters.

  • The leading factor contributing to home heating fires (25%) was failure to clean, principally from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.

  • Half of the home heating fire deaths were caused by having heating equipment to close too things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing mattresses or bedding.

  • Nearly half (48%) of all home heating fires occurred in December, January and February.


https://youtu.be/5BqR4WNd3lA Dan Doofus has a heating safety "Hot Flash"


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Electrical

Electricity helps make our lives easier but there are times when we can take its power and its potential for fire-related hazards for granted. 

NFPA actively supports National Electrical Safety Month, an annual campaign in May sponsored by the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), which works to raise awareness of potential home electrical hazards, the importance of electrical fire safety, and the safety of electrical workers.

To help reduce your risk, NFPA and ESFI recommend that you have all electrical work done by a qualified electrician, including electrical inspections, when buying or remodeling a home.


Electrical fire facts

  •  Electrical distribution or lighting equipment, such as wiring, lighting, cords, and plugs, was involved in an estimated average of roughly 34,000 (10%) reported home structure fires per year. These incidents caused an average of 470 (18%) civilian deaths, 1,100 civilian injuries (10%), and $1.4 billion (19%) in direct property damage annually.

  • Electrical distribution or lighting equipment ranked first in direct property damage, and third among the major fire causes in the number of home fires, fourth in home fire deaths, and tied for third in home fire injuries. 

  • Wiring and related equipment accounted for 7 percent of all home fires and nine percent of all home fire deaths.

  • Cords or plugs were involved in only one percent of home fires but seven percent of the deaths. Extension cords dominated the cord or plug category.

https://youtu.be/l-wXyw0tvSA Dan Doofus has a shocking revelation about electrical safety.


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Smoking


Smoking materials, including cigarettes, pipes, and cigars, started an estimated 17,200 home structure fires reported to U.S. fire departments. These fires caused 570 deaths, 1,140 injuries and $426 million in direct property damage. Smoking materials caused 5% of reported home fires, 21% of home fire deaths, 10% of home fire injuries, and 6% of the direct property damage.


Electronic Cigarettes: Fires have occurred while e-cigarettes were being used, the battery was being charged, or the device was being transported. Battery failures have led to small explosions. Never leave charging e-cigarettes unattended. E-cigarettes should be used with caution.




The risk of dying in a home structure fire caused by smoking materials rises with age. • One out of four fatal victims of smoking-material fires is not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire.

 

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Candles

 U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 7,400 home structure fires that were started by candles per year. These fires caused an annual average of 90 deaths, 670 injuries and $291 million in direct property damage.


Remember that a candle is an open flame, which means that it can easily ignite anything that can burn. NFPA shares a few candle fire safety tips to consider.




Candle fire facts

  • Candles caused 2% of reported home fires, 3% of home fire deaths, 6% of home fire injuries, and 4% of the direct property damage in home fires.

  • Roughly one-third (37%) of home candle fires started in bedrooms. These fires caused 35% of the associated deaths and 47% of the associated injuries.

  • Falling asleep was a factor in 10% percent of the home candle fires and 12% of the associated deaths.

  • On average, 20 home candle fires were reported per day. 

  • Three of every five (60%) of home candle fires occurred when some form of combustible material was left or came too close to the candle.

  • Candle fires peak in December and January with 11 percent of candles fires in each of these months.

  • http://ow.ly/XR6vjFor more information