It's Fire Prevention Week

The week of October 9-15 has been dedicated to fire prevention by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA). Since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls.

Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8 and continued into October 9, where it did most of its damage.

Check out these fire facts from the NFPA:

Home Fires

• One home structure fire was reported every 87 seconds in 2009.
• On average, seven people die in home fires every day.
• Adults 65 and over face the highest risk of fire death.
• In 2009, U.S. fire departments responded to 362,500 home structure fires. These fires caused 12,650 civilian injuries, 2,565 civilian deaths and $7.6 billion in direct damage.

Escape Planning 

• According to an NFPA survey, fewer than one-fourth of Americans have both developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
• Almost three-quarters of Americans do have an escape plan; however, fewer than half have actually practiced it.
• One-third of American households that responded to the survey thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in the home becomes life threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out! 

Smoke Alarms

• Roughly two-thirds of home fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• About one in five smoke alarm failures is due to dead batteries.
• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.
• In fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, hardwired alarms operated 91% of the time, while battery powered alarms operated only 75% of the time.

Home Fire Sprinklers

• Automatic fire sprinkler systems cut the risk of dying in a home fire by about 80%.
• Home fire sprinklers can contain, and may even extinguish, a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene.

Cooking Fires

• Cooking equipment is the leading cause of home structure fires and associated injuries, and is tied for the third leading cause of home fire deaths. Unattended cooking is by far the leading cause of these fires.
• Households using electric ranges have a higher risk of fires than those using gas ranges.
• U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 155,400 cooking-related home fires each year between 2005 and 2009, causing an average of 390 deaths, 4,800 injuries and $771 million in direct property damage.

Heating Fires

• Fires involving heating equipment peak in December, January and February, as do deaths from these fires.
• Heating equipment is the second leading cause of all reported home fires and home fire deaths.
• The leading factor contributing to heating equipment fires is failure to clean, principally chimneys.
• Half of home heating fire deaths resulted from heating equipment placed too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding.
• U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 64,100 heating-related home fires each year between 2005 and 2009, causing an average of 560 deaths, 1,620 injuries and $904 million in direct property damage.

Smoking-Related Fires 

• In recent years, Canada and the United States have required that all cigarettes sold must be “fire safe.” They must have reduced ignition strength, making them less likely to start fires.
• U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 18,900 smoking-related home fires each year between 2005 and 2009, causing an average of 660 deaths, 1,270 injuries and $492 million in direct property damage.

Electrical Fires

• 41% of home electrical fires involved electrical distribution or lighting equipment.
• 53% of home electrical fires involved other types of equipment, including ranges, washers/dryers, fans and space heaters.
• Between 2005 and 2009, electrical distribution and lighting equipment was involved in the ignition of an average of 23,400 home structure fires per year. These fires caused an average of 390 deaths, 970 injuries and $822 million in direct property damage.

Candle Fires

• On average, 35 home candle fires are reported per day.
• Roughly two-fifths of these fires start in the bedroom.
• Between 2005 and 2009, candles caused an average of 12,900 home fires, 140 home fire deaths, 1,040 home fire injuries and $471 million in direct property damage per year. 

This information was reproduced from NFPA's Fire Prevention Week website, www.firepreventionweek.org. ©2011 NFPA.