The United States Fire Problem

The United States Fire Problem

Introduction

The fire departments in US respond to over a million fires each year. On a per capita basis, the numbers of fires occurring each year are much worse compared to other nations in the world. Each year several thousands of people get injured from fires or die and billions of dollars of property are lost. Apart from the cost of the property lost, there are several indirect costs that add to the cost incurred due to fires. These indirect costs include medical expenses, loss of business, psychological damage, and temporary lodging etc. Compared to other natural disasters, the losses incurred due to earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods collectively are just a fraction of the losses caused by fires. Although fires are very common, people usually do not take appropriate measures in order to reduce the risks of fires (FEMA).

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Fire Data Center (NFDC) often publishes statistical overviews of the fire cases in the United States. The purpose of such reports is to make people aware of the dangers of fires and the corrective action that needs to be taken in order to reduce the risks posed by fires. They also provide a model for states in order to carry out necessary programs.

Deaths

In 1974, there was an estimate of 12,000 deaths caused by fires. However, after the USFA was established, the number of deaths was reduced to 3,245 in 2006. This figure is still going down due to the preventive actions taken by the Administration (NFPA). The focus of the USFA has been top reduce the number of deaths occurring because of fires and they have been successful in doing so. However, more effort has to be put into reducing the number of deaths even further. This can only be achieved by educating the citizens on the way they should deal with fires and the preventive measures that need to be taken.

Region

The number of cases of fires varies from region to region due to the climate. States such as West Virginia, Kansas, Mississippi, and Alaska have some of the highest death rates relating to fires in the world. Although every state is lowering the rate of deaths related to fires, the figures are mostly high.

The proportion of fires, dollar loss, injuries, and deaths are almost the same with around 44% of the fires occurring in trash, vacant lots, and fields. 35% of the fires occur in residential areas while the number of fires in non-residential areas was a few percentages less compared to residential areas (NFPA).

Causes of Fire and Related Losses

Residential

Cooking accounts for around 40% of all the fires followed by heating which accounts for around 14%. Although cooking accounts for most of the fires, smoking accounts for 18% of all fatal fires in residential areas (NFPA). The fact that most of the fires occur in residential areas is a cause of concern since citizens are more prone to injuries and deaths compared to industrial areas where ...