Awareness Month Fire Facts

5/9/2018 (Permalink)

It is the second week of May, which means it is our Fire week for Awareness Month.  Here are some fire facts provided by Fire Rescue 1 to help keep you in the know!

1. Fire Triangle

There are three components that are necessary for fire to exist: heat, oxygen, and fuel.  A fire can only ignite and start if all components are present.  Once a fire has started, it can be extinguished if any one of these components is removed.

2. Fire Kills

There are over 3,800 people who die from fire-related deaths in the U.S. each year.  There is an average of 60 firefighters who die each year in the line of duty.  Most of these fires reported could have been prevented if proper fire safety had been practiced or if fire alarms had been working.

3. They Start in the Kitchen

Most house fires are started in a kitchen.  Cooking is the leading cause of all home fire injuries that take place throughout the country, and most of the cooking fires are started due to overheated grease and unattended cooking.

4. Leading Causes of Death

Smoking is the leading cause of death by fire in the United States.  This is followed by heating equipment.  

5. Arson

The third most common cause of home fires is arson.  

6. Smoke Inhalation

The smoke caused from a fire can sometimes be even more dangerous than the flames.  More people die from the actual smoke inhalation than they do from the flames of the fire.  Fire sucks all the oxygen from rooms and replaces it with a poisonous smoke and gasses before the fire has even reached the room.  Many people die from lack of oxygen before the fire will even reach their room.

7. Candles

Candles are the cause for about 9,300 home fires and 86 home fire deaths between 2009-2013 alone.  They were also responsible for 827 injuries and $374 million in property damages, so make sure you are putting out all candles when they are going to be unattended!

8. Smoke Alarms

Approximately 2/3 of all fire deaths happen in homes where the fire alarms were not working.  Your chances of dying in a home fire are cut by 50% if you have a working fire alarm, so make sure test yours once a month to make sure they are working properly!