House Fires

“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.” – eHow.com

Although home fires are the most likely accident most of us will face, there are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about fire. For example I would have predicted that cold, snowy states would have the highest risk of house fires given room heaters, fireplaces, and candles. But in fact the six “states” with highest fire deaths per person are Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and Washington, DC.

While fireplaces and candles do cause 18% of all fire deaths, they are matched by cigarette smoking fires (18%) and exceeded by deaths caused by arson (28%). There is also a subtle point to be made about fires caused vs. fire deaths. Cooking is the leading cause of home fires (28%) but cigarette fires cause more deaths. This is because you’re hopefully awake while cooking and smell/see the smoke. On the other hand, cigarette fires are frequently started when the person falls asleep while smoking, drops the cigarette and never wakes up again.

Another misconception is that fire flames kill. Yes fire is hot and deadly, In only 3 1/2 minutes, the heat from a house fire can reach over 1100 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature can reach over 300 degrees in rooms that are not even on fire. And yet in 75% of the cases the cause of death was smoke and fumes. Fire can produce gases and fumes that can make you sleepy, weak, and confused. You can run out of fresh air (oxygen) and die of asphyxiation before the fire flames reach you. This is why it is so important to stay low to the ground when leaving a burning building – the fumes rise so the good air is near the floor.

It is also important to know that real smoke (unlike the movies) can be very, very thick very quickly. Your house can become completely dark in 4 minutes, even with all the lights on! This adds to the confusion of evacuation and rescue.

Bottom Line
Smoke alarms and sprinkler systems save lives. Don’t forget to change the battery twice a year on your smoke alarms! Many people use the Daylight Saving days (spring forward and fall back) as the time to change batteries.

http://www.ok.gov/health/documents/house_fires.pdf
http://www.ehow.com/about_4598598_facts-house-fires.html