3/17/2016

Theconsequencesoffire

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Home PressRoom AReporter'sGuidetoFireandtheNFPA Theconsequencesoffire

THECONSEQUENCESOFFIRE
from"AReporter'sGuidetoFireandtheNFPA"
Thekillingfumes
FireintheUnitedStates
Fireinthehome

Allaboutfire

Socialmedia

Thekillingfumes
Mostfiredeathsarenotcausedbyburns,butbysmokeinhalation.Oftensmokeincapacitatessoquicklythatpeopleareovercome
andcantmakeittoanotherwiseaccessibleexit.Thesyntheticmaterialscommonplaceintodayshomesproduceespecially
dangeroussubstances.Asafiregrowsinsideabuilding,itwilloftenconsumemostoftheavailableoxygen,slowingtheburning
process.Thisincompletecombustionresultsintoxicgases.

Publicserviceannouncements

Smokeismadeofcomponentsthatcaneachbelethalinitsownway:

Theconsequencesoffire
Glossary
Keyfiresafetytips

particles:Unburned,partiallyburned,andcompletelyburnedsubstancescanbesosmalltheypenetratetherespiratory
systemsprotectivefilters,andlodgeinthelungs.Someareactivelytoxicothersareirritatingtotheeyesand
digestivesystem.
vapors:Foglikedropletsofliquidcanpoisonifinhaledorabsorbedthroughtheskin.
toxicgases:Themostcommon,carbonmonoxide(CO),canbedeadly,eveninsmallquantities,asitreplacedoxygen
inthebloodstream.Hydrogencyanideresultsfromtheburningofplastics,suchasPVCpipe,andinterfereswith
cellularrespiration.Phosgeneisformedwhenhouseholdproducts,suchasvinylmaterials,areburned.Atlowlevels,
phosgenecancauseitchyeyesandasorethroatathigherlevelsitcancausepulmonaryedemaanddeath.
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Inadditiontoproducingsmoke,firecanincapacitateorkillbyreducingoxygenlevels,eitherbyconsumingtheoxygen,orby
displacingitwithothergases.Heatisalsoarespiratoryhazard,assuperheatedgasesburntherespiratorytract.Whentheairishot
enough,onebreathcankill.
Whenoxygenlevelsareat...

...apersonexperiences:

21percent

Normaloutsideair

17percent

Impairedjudgmentandcoordination

12percent

Headache,dizziness,nausea,fatigue

9percent

Unconsciousness

6percent

Respiratoryarrest,cardiacarrest,death

FireintheUnitedStates
Every20seconds,afiredepartmentrepondstoafiresomewhereintheUnitedStates.Onceaminute,afireoccursinastructure.
Althoughfire'stollhasdeclinedsteadilyoverthepasttwodecades,firecontinuestocausemajorlosses.
Whenpeoplefeardeathbyfire,theytypicallyimaginethecryoffire!inaplacecrowdedwithstrangers,perhapsamovietheateror
restaurant.Butofthe10deadliestfiresthrough1999,onlytwowereinsuchsettings:theIroquoisTheaterinChicagoin1903(PDF,
4008KB)andtheCocoanutGrovefireinBostonin1942 (PDF,2.5MB).Throughouthistorythebigfireshavemorecommonlyengulfed
citiesorforests,orhaveinvolvedsteamships,airplanes,andindustrialsettingssuchasminesorchemicalplans.
Andthoseconflagrationshavebecomelesscommon.From19001954,therewere44fireswithdeathtollsof100ormore.Butfrom
1955topresent,therehavebeenjustfive:
aSouthgate,KY,restaurantfirein1977
theOklahomaCityofficebuildingbombingin1995
theFloridainflightfirein1996
theWorldTradeCenterattackin2001
theStationnightclubfireinRhodeIslandin2003
Today,peoplewhodieinfirestypicallydieinonesandtwos,intheirownhomesandvehicles.
Fireinthehome
Homeistheplacewhereyoufeelsafest.Butyourhomeisalsowhereyouaremostlikelytodieinafire.Fouroutoffivefirerelated
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Theconsequencesoffire

deathsamongciviliansoccurinthehome.Althoughhomesfiresanddeathshavebeendecliningsince1977,muchworkremainsto
bedone.Thedeathtollofhomefirescanbereducedthrough:
educatingthepubliconhowtopreventfiresandhowtoavoidseriousinjuryordeathiffireoccurs
usingandmaintainingsmokealarms,anddevelopingandpracticingescapeplans
awideruseofresidentialsprinklersystems
regulationstomakehomeproductsmorefiresafe
addressingtheneedsofgroupsathighriskoffireinjuryanddeath,particularlytheaged,thedisabled,theyoung,andthepoor
Thesearesomeareasofparticularconcerninhomefires.
Smokingmaterials.Lightedtobaccoproductsalmostalwayscigarettesaretheleadingcauseoffatal
firesinthehome,causing700to900deathseachyear.Theyaretheleadingcauseoffiredeathsinany
location,intheUnitedStatesandeveryothercountrywheresufficientdataiscollected.Typically,
abandonedorcarelesslydiscardedsmokingmaterialsignitetrash,beddingorupholsteredfurniture.Most
fatalsmokingrelatedfiresstartinthelivingroom,familyroomorden,ratherthanthebedroom.Theadoption
ofstandardsthatrequiremattressesandupholsterytoresistgoingupflamesfromacigarettehasreduced
thedeathtollsignificantly.
Cooking.Cookingfireshappenbecausepeoplewalkawayfromthestove.Theygetdistractedbychildren,petsorvisitors,
sometimesforgettingtheyleftfoodcooking.Thereisnosafeperiodoftimetoleavecookingunattended.Cookingequipmentis
leadingcauseofhomefiresandofinjuriesinhomefires(andthefourthleadingcauseofhomefiredeaths).Atleasttwothirdsof
thesefiresinvolvetherange,especiallythecooktop.Typically,cookingoilorotherflammableliquids,orfatorgrease,iswhat
firstcatchesfire.Andtwothirdsofhomecookingfiresstartedwithinthefirst15minutesofcooking.
Heatingequipment.Heatingequipmentisthesecondleadingcauseofhomefires,andthirdleadingcauseofhomefiredeaths.
Twooutofthreeheatingrelatedfirescanbetracedtoimproperlyusedspaceheatersacategorythatincludesfireplacesand
chimneysandfixedandportablespaceheaters,includingwoodstoves.Spaceheaters(excludingfireplacesandchimney)most
oftencausedfireswhensomethingcombustiblewaslefttooclose.Mostfireplaceandchimneyfireswerecausedbycreosote
buildup,andcouldbepreventedbyregularcleaning.
Candles.Candlesnewpopularityhasledtogrowingconcernsaboutfirehazardsassociatedwithcandleuse.Mostpeoplesay
theyusecandlesbecausetheylikethescent,andothersenjoythemoodtheycreate.Butinoneoutofthreefatalcandlefiresin
thehome,thecandlewasusedforlightbecausethepowerwasout.Inmanycases,thepowerhadbeenshutoff.
Arson.Arson,thecrimeofmaliciouslyandintentionally,orrecklessly,startingafireorcausinganexplosion,istheleadingcause
ofpropertydamageintheUnitedStates.Butonlyabout1in20oftheintentionallysetfiresresultsinanarrestandonly1in50
resultsinaconviction.Twothirdsofintentionallysetfiresareneverevenreportedtopolice,andonlyrarelydosuchreportslead
toanarrest.Arsonfireshavebeendroppingsteadilysince1985.Mostfiresettersareeitheryoungstersorpyromaniacsmore
thanhalfthosearrestedforarsonareyoungerthan18.

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