Home Fires Lead To Serious Injury, Death And Property Loss, USA

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 07 Oct 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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National Fire Protection Association's Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 5-11 and this year's theme is "Prevent Home Fires." According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there were 3,430 civilian fatalities and 17,675 civilian injuries that occurred as the result of fire in 2007. Additionally, the direct property loss was an estimated $14.6 billion. And, the majority of these losses and injuries occurred in home fires.

"Home fires occur more often then people think, but they are preventable. We want to make sure Alabamians know about the risks for home fires and what steps they can take to prevent them," said Samille Jackson, health educator with the Injury Prevention Division at the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Fire Prevention Week will focus on the areas most often associated with home fires; cooking, heating, electricity and smoking.

The Alabama Department of Public Health recommends the following safety tips to prevent home fires:

- Never smoke in bed
- Keep lighters and matches away from children
- Never leave food on the stove unattended
- Never throw water on a burning pot; cover with a lid and smother the fire
- Keep items at least three feet from space heaters
- Clean fire places yearly
- Do not use items with damaged cords or wiring
- Do not overload outlets

Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home, including the basement.

For extra safety it is recommended that you install smoke alarms both inside and outside all sleeping areas. For more information about fire safety, please visit the Alabama Department of Public Health's Web site at http://www.adph.org/injuryprevention.

Alabama Department of Public Health