Fire Safety Facts
FIRE SAFETY FACTS
What Causes Fires
- Careless smoking is the leading cause of residential fire deaths.
- Arson is the second largest cause of residential fires and fire deaths.
- In commercial properties, arson is major cause of deaths, injuries and dollar loss.
- Heating is the third leading cause of residential fire deaths.
- Cooking is the leading cause of apartment fires and the second most frequent cause of single-family residential fires. These fires often result from unattended cooking and human error, rather than from mechanical failures of stoves or ovens.
Where Fires Occur
- Individuals living in urban and rural areas have a much higher risk of dying in a fire than those living in suburban areas and smaller towns.
- About 65% of all residential fire tragedies occur in single-family homes and duplexes.
Top Ten Areas of Origin in Residential Fires
1. Kitchen - 27.1%
2. Bedroom - 12.7%
3. Living Room/Den - 8.7%
4. Chimney - 8.3%
5. Laundry - 3.7%
6. Heating Area - 3.1%
7. Garage - 2.6%
8. Bathroom - 2.0%
9. Hallway - 1.4%
10. Closet - 1.3%
What Saves Lives
- A working smoke detector doubles a person's chance or surviving a fire.
- About 64% of residential fire deaths occur in households with no smoke detector.
Who is Most at Risk
- Senior citizens are at the highest risk of being killed in a fire.
- People under age 19 account for 25% of annual fire deaths.
- Children under age five are at serious risk of being killed in a fire.
- About 25% of the fires that kill young children are started by children playing with matches.
- Fire deaths and injuries for men are nearly double than women.
Information Source: US Fire Administration
