Fire Facts
E
very day Americans experience the horror of fire.
But most people don't understand fire.
Only when we know the true nature of fire
can we prepare ourselves and our families.
Each year more than 4,500 Americans die
and more than 30,000 are injured in fires,
many of which could be prevented.
Below are some simple facts
that explain the particular characteristics of fire.
We Plan to update this page often with New Fact
and information so Please Check back
Fire is Fast
There is little time.
In less than 30 seconds a
small flame
can get completely out of control and turn
into a major fire.
It only takes minutes for thick black smoke
to fill a house.
In minutes, a house can be engulfed in flames.
Most fires occur in the home when people
are asleep.
If you wake up to a fire,
you won't have time to grab valuables
because fire spreads too quickly
and the smoke is too thick.
There is only time to escape.
Fire is Hot
Heat is more threatening than flames.
A fire's heat alone can kill.
Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees
at floor level and rise to 600 degrees
at eye level.
Inhaling this super hot air will
scorch your lungs.
This heat can melt clothes to your skin.
In five minutes a room can get so hot
that everything in it ignites at once:
this is called a flashover.
Fire is Dark
Fire isn't bright, it's pitch black.
Fire starts bright, but quickly produces
black smoke and complete darkness.
If you wake up to a fire you may be blinded,
disoriented, and unable to find your way
around the home you've lived in for years.
Fire is Deadly
Smoke and toxic gases
kill more people than flames do.
Fire uses up the oxygen you need
and produces smoke and poisonous gases that kill.
Breathing even small amounts of smoke and toxic gases
can make you drowsy, disoriented, and
short of breath. The odorless, colorless
fumes can lull you into a deep sleep
before the flames reach your door.
You may not wake up in time to escape.
Causes of Fires and Fire Deaths.
Cooking is the leading cause
of home fires in the United States.
Cooking fires often result from unattended cooking
and human error, rather than mechanical failure
of stoves or ovens.
Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.
Smoke alarms and smolder-resistant bedding
and upholstered furniture are significant
fire deterrents.
Heating is the second cause of residential fires
and ties with arson as the second leading
cause of fire deaths.
However, heating fires are a larger problem in
single family homes than in apartments.
Unlike apartments, the heating systems in single
family homes are often not professionally maintained.
Arson is the third leading cause
of residential fires and the second leading cause
of residential fire deaths.
In commercial properties,
arson is the major cause of deaths,
injuries and dollar loss.
Who is Most at Risk?
Senior citizens and children
under the age of 5 have the greatest risk
of fire death.
The fire death risk among seniors
is more than double the average population.
The fire death risk for children under age five
is nearly double the risk of the average population.
Children under the age of 10 accounted for an
estimated 18 percent of all fire deaths in 1995.
Over 30 percent of the fires that kill
young children are started by children playing
with fire.
Men die or are injured in fires
twice as often as women.
What Saves Lives!
A working smoke alarm
dramatically increases a person's chance
of surviving a fire.
Approximately 90 percent of U.S. homes
have at least one smoke alarm. However,
these alarms are not always properly maintained
and as a result might not work in an emergency.
There has been a disturbing increase
over the last ten years in the number of fires
that occur in homes with non-functioning
alarms.
It is estimated that over 40 percent of
residential fires and three-fifths of residential
fatalities occur in homes with no smoke alarms.
SO SHOULD YOU NOT HAVE ONE?
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