The death rate from fire and flame injury among children ages 14 and under declined by 50 percent from 1987 to 1997. However, fires and burns remain the third-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under. Children, especially those ages 5 and under, are at the greatest risk from home fire-related death and injury. A less acute perception of danger, less control of their environment, and a limited ability to react promptly and properly to a fire contribute to this excess risk.

Each year, U.S. fire departments respond to nearly 440,000 residential fires, or one every 70 seconds. These fires account for nearly 22 percent of all reported fire incidents, yet cause 81 percent of all fire-related deaths and nearly 75 percent of all injuries. Smoke alarms are extremely effective at preventing fire-related death and injury. The chances of dying in a residential fire are cut in half when a smoke alarm is present. Residential sprinkler systems, escape plans and fire extinguishers are also effective at preventing and mitigating this risk.

DEATHS AND INJURIES

• In 1997, more than 660 children ages 14 and under died in residential fires. Nearly 60 percent of these children were ages 4 and under.
• Each year, nearly 47,000 children ages 14 and under are injured by fires in the home. Nearly 55 percent of these children are ages 4 and under.
• Child-play fires are the leading cause of residential fire-related death and injury among children ages 9 and under.
• Nearly three-fourths of all fire-related deaths are from smoke inhalation, caused by toxic gases produced as fires develop and spread. Flames and burns are responsible for one-fourth of fire-related deaths and injuries.

WHEN AND WHERE FIRE DEATHS AND INJURIES OCCUR

• A working smoke alarm is not present in two-thirds of the residential fires in which a child is injured or killed. Households without working smoke alarms are approximately two and a half times more likely to have a fire than those with working smoke alarms.
• More than half of children ages 5 and under who die from home fires are asleep at the time. Another one-third of these children are too young to react appropriately.
• Home-cooking equipment is the leading cause of residential fires and fire-related injuries. However, residential fires caused by smoking materials (e.g., cigarettes) are the leading cause of fire-related death, accounting for 26 percent of all fatalities.
• Child-play home fires tend to begin in a bedroom or living room where children are often left alone to play. Nearly 80 percent of these fires are started by children playing with matches or lighters.
• Home fires and home fire-related deaths are more likely to occur during cold-weather months, December through February, when there is a significant rise in the number of deaths due to portable or area heating equipment such as fireplaces, space heaters and wood stoves.
• The South has the highest fire-related death rate in the country, 28 percent higher than the national average. This may reflect the fact that the South has the highest percentage of its population living in rural areas and with incomes below the poverty level.

WHO IS AT RISK

• Children in homes without smoke alarms are at greater risk of fires and fire-related death and injury.
• Children ages 5 and under, representing seven percent of the population, yet nearly 21 percent of all fire-related deaths in the home, are more than twice as likely to die in a fire than the rest of the population.
• Male children have a higher risk of fire-related death and injury than female children.
• Studies indicate that an estimated 38 percent of children ages 6 to 14 have played with fire at least once. Males are nearly twice as likely to have played with fire than females.
• Children from low-income families are at greater risk for fire-related death and injury, due to factors such as a lack of working smoke alarms, substandard housing, use of alternative heating sources, and economic constraints on providing adequate adult supervision.
• Children living in rural areas have a dramatically higher risk of dying in a residential fire. Death rates in rural communities are two and a half times higher than rates in large cities and more than three times higher than rates in large towns and small cities.
• Black children are more than three times as likely, and Native American children are more than two times as likely as white children to die in a fire.
• More than 40 percent of residential fire-related deaths among children ages 9 and under occur when the child is attempting to escape, is unable to act or is acting irrationally.  Although an escape plan may help to reduce these deaths, only 16 percent of households have developed and practiced a plan.

SMOKE ALARM AND SPRINKLER SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS

• As of 1995, 93 percent of homes in the United States had at least one smoke alarm. However, only 74 percent of all homes had at least one working smoke alarm.
• Nearly half of all home fires and three-fifths of all fire-related deaths in the home occur in the seven percent of U.S. homes that have no smoke alarms.
• The chances of dying in a residential fire are cut by an estimated 62 percent when automatic sprinkler systems are present. Yet, mainly due to their expense, residential sprinkler usage in homes is extremely low. However, the cost of sprinkler systems and their installation is being greatly reduced due to industry innovation.
• Smoke alarms and sprinkler systems combined could reduce fire-related deaths by 82 percent and injuries by 46 percent.

FIRE SAFETY LAWS AND REGULATIONS

• Currently, 32 states and the District of Columbia have laws that require smoke alarms to be used in both new and existing dwellings. Seven states have no comprehensive smoke alarm laws. The remaining 11 states have a variety of laws covering specific situations such as new dwellings or multi-occupancy dwellings only.
• Many localities currently have ordinances mandating automatic sprinkler systems in new residential homes.
• Federal regulations and regional building codes have established requirements for the design, construction and installation of windows and approved devices intended to be used for emergency escape or rescue.
• In 1994, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a mandatory safety standard requiring disposable and novelty cigarette lighters to be child-resistant. Since this standard has been in effect, the number of child-playing lighter fires has declined 33 percent and the number of deaths and injuries associated with these fires has declined by 45 percent and 29 percent, respectively.

HEALTH CARE COSTS AND SAVINGS

• The total annual cost of fire-related burn deaths and injuries among children ages 14 and under is $5.5 billion. Children ages 4 and under account for more than $3.3 billion of these costs.
• Every dollar spent on a smoke alarm saves this country $21.

PREVENTION TIPS

• Keep matches, gasoline, lighters and all other flammable materials locked away and out of children's reach.
• Install smoke alarms in your home on every level and in every sleeping area. Test them once a month, replace the batteries at least once a year (unless the batteries are designed for longer life), and replace the alarms every ten years. Ten-year lithium alarms also are available and do not require an annual battery change.
• For the best protection against different types of fires, consider installing both ionization alarms (better at sensing flaming fires) and photoelectric alarms (better at sensing slow, smoky fires).
• Plan and practice several fire escape routes from each room of the home and identify an outside meeting place. Practicing an escape plan may help children who become frightened and confused in a fire escape to safety.

12/99 This information was compiled by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.