Missouri Division of Fire Safety

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Missouri DivisionofFire Safety
Fire Safety at Home
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The Basics

• In the United States, a home fire is reported to
  a fire department roughly every 75 seconds.
• In 2006, fire departments responded to 396,000
  home fires. These fires caused 2,580 civilian
  deaths, 12,500 civilian injuries and 6.8 billion
  in direct damage.
• Eighty percent of all U.S. fire deaths occur in
  the home.

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The Basics

• On the average, someone is killed in a home fire
  in the United States every 3 hours.
• December and January were the peak months for
  reported home fires and home fire deaths.
• Home fires, fire deaths and fire injuries are
  more common on Saturday and Sunday.
• Smoke alarms are the most effective early warning
  device available. Having a smoke alarm in your
  home cuts your chance of dying in a fire nearly
  in half! 

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Smoke Detectors

• A 2004 survey found that 96 of all households
  had at least one smoke detector.
• The death rate per 100 reported fires is twice as
  high in homes without working smoke alarms (1.13)
  compared to homes with working smoke alarms
  (0.55).

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Smoke Detectors

• When smoke detectors fail, it is most often the
  result of missing, disconnected or dead
  batteries.
• Sixty-five percent of reported home fire deaths
  in 2000-2004 resulted from fires in homes with no
  smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• An estimated 890 lives could be save each year if
  all homes had working smoke alarms.

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Kitchen Safety

• Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home
  cooking fires.
• Three in 10 reported home fires start in the
  kitchenmore than any other place in the home.
• Frying is the leading type of activity associated
  with cooking fires.
• More than half of all cooking fire injuries
  occurred when people tried to fight the fire
  themselves. 

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Kitchen Safety

• Two out of three home cooking fires started with
  the range or stove.
• Electric ranges or stoves have a higher risk of
  fires, injuries and property damage, compared to
  gas ranges or stoves, but gas ranges or stoves
  have a higher risk of fire deaths.
• Home fires peak around the dinner hour between
  600 PM and 700 PM.

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Cooking Safety Advice

• Never leave food cooking unattended
• Keep cooking areas clean and clear of
  combustibles
• Keep a three-foot "kid-free zone" around the
  stove
• Turn pot handles inward
• Wear short, close fitting, or tightly rolled
  sleeves when cooking
• Never use a wet oven mitt, as it presents a scald
  danger if the moisture in the mitt is heated

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Heating Safety

• In 2003, heating equipment was involved in more
  than 53,000 home fires, resulting in 260 deaths,
  1,260 injuries, and 494 million in direct
  property damage.
• Heating equipment fires accounted for 16 of all
  reported home fires (second behind cooking) and
  11 of home fire deaths.
• The peak months for home heating fires are
  December, January and February.

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Heating Safety

• Space heaters were involved in 26 of the home
  heating fires but 73 of the deaths.
• Fireplaces or chimneys rank first in the number
  of fires among types of heating equipment. Most
  of these were caused by creosote build-up.

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Heating Safety Advice

• Space heaters need space, at least three feet
  away from anything that can burn
• Portable space heaters should be turned off every
  time you leave the room or go to sleep 
• Have a sturdy screen on your fireplace, a metal
  screen or built-in glass doors

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Electrical Safety

• Between 1999-2003, electrical distribution and
  lighting equipment were involved in an estimated
  19,100 home structure fires per year.  These
  fires resulted in 140 civilian deaths, 610
  civilian injuries and an estimated 349 million
  in direct property damage per year.
• Extension cord fires outnumbered fires beginning
  with attached power cords by more than
  two-to-one.

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Electrical Safety

• Fixed wiring causes 1/3 of home electrical
  distribution fires.
• Cords and plugs cause 1/6 of home electrical
  fires and 1/3 of related deaths. In some cases,
  people can check and fix them, if necessary,
  without a licensed electrician.

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Electrical Safety

• Each year, electrical shock (not resulting in a
  fire) causes hundreds of burn deaths and
  thousands of burn injuries.
• Nearly 2/3 of electrical burn injuries to
  children age 12 and under are associated with
  household electrical cords and extension cords.

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Electrical Safety Advice

• Replace or repair any electrical device with a
  loose or frayed cord
• Avoid using extension cords and never run them
  across doorways or under carpets
• In homes with small children, electrical outlets
  should have plastic safety covers

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Electrical Safety Advice

• Avoid the use of "cube taps" and other devices
  that allow the connection of multiple appliances
  into a single receptacle.
• Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things
  that can burn

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Candles

• Candle fires account for an estimated 4 of all
  reported home fires.
• During 2000-2004, an estimated 16,400 home
  structure fires were started by candles. These
  fires resulted in 200 civilian deaths, 1,680
  civilian injuries and direct property loss of
  450 million. 40 of home candle fires begin in
  the bedroom, resulting in 35 of candle related
  fire deaths.
• More than half of all candle fires started from
  candles left too close to combustible materials.

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Candles

• Lack of electrical power was a factor in 1/3 of
  fatal candle fires.
• Falling asleep was a factor in 12 of candle
  fires and 25 of the candle fire deaths.
• Fourteen percent of home candle fires in
  December, almost twice the monthly average.
  (candle fires often involve combustible seasonal
  decorations not present at other times of the
  year.)

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Smoking Materials

• Smoking materials are the leading cause of fire
  deaths and the third leading cause of civilian
  fire injuries in the U.S.
• In 2003, smoking materials started an estimated
  25,600 home fires in the U.S.  These fires caused
  760 civilian deaths and 1,520 civilian injuries.

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Smoking Materials

• The most common material first ignited in
  smoking-material fire deaths were
  mattresses/bedding, upholstered furniture, and
  floor coverings.
• Older adults are the highest risk of death or
  injury from smoking-material fires (even though
  they are less likely to smoke than younger
  adults).

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Residential Sprinklers

• Properly installed and maintained, automatic fire
  sprinkler systems save lives.
• When sprinklers are present, the chances of dying
  in a fire are reduced by one-half to
  three-fourths compared to fires where sprinklers
  are not present.

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Safety Advice

• Install at least one smoke alarm on each level of
  your home and in all sleeping areas
• Smoke alarms should be tested once a month and
  batteries replaced once a year or when the alarm
  beeps, warning that the battery is low.
• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.

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Safety Advice

• Every household should develop and practice a
  home fire escape plan that includes two ways out
  of every room and an outside meeting place.

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Prepare Your Home Fire Escape Plan

• Have a written plan
• Know how to escape
• Have more than 1 way out
• Where to meet
• Where to call 911 from (Not from inside the house
  on fire)

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Prevent Home Fires!
Missouri Division of Fire SafetyPO Box
844Jefferson City, MO 65102(573)751-2930