Simple steps can prevent fire damage

Published Oct. 13, 2009
By 375th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department
375th Air Mobility Wing

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Fire safety is the primary focus of Fire Prevention Week; however, it should be a year-round effort to remain fire safe. This year's Fire Prevention Week theme is "Stay Fire Smart, Don't Get Burned." It focuses on burn prevention and keeping homes safe from fire while cooking, heating and smoking. Below are some helpful hints:
Fire Facts

· In 2007, United States fire departments responded to 399,000 home fires. These fires killed 2,900 people.

· Home fires account for 84 percent of all firerelated deaths.

· Homes without smoke detectors account for 63 percent of the fire-related deaths.
· The months of December, January and February account for one-third of the deaths by fire.

· Cooking continues to be the leading cause of home fires and injuries followed by heating, electrical and intentional fires.

· Burn injuries result in hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits a year.

· Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, accounting for 40 percent of reported home fires and 36 percent of related injuries.

· Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths (roughly one in four) in the United States.

· There were 142,900 smoking-material fires in the United States in 2006, causing 780 civilian deaths and 1,600 civilian injuries.

· One out of four victims of fatal smoking-related fires is not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire.

· An estimated 64,100 reported home structure fires were caused by heating equipment; they caused 540 deaths, 1,400 injuries and more than $943 million in direct property damage.

· Space heaters result in far more fires than central heating devices and cause a higher percentage of injuries, deaths and damage.

Burns
· Thermal burns outnumber cuts and scalds by nearly two-to-one.

· Be sure everyone (not just children) knows the "stop, drop, and roll" technique for smothering clothing fires.

· Learn how to administer emergency first-aid for all types of burns.

Cooking
· Cooking should not be left unattended; this is the leading cause of home fires.

· Areas around cooking surfaces should be kept clear of combustibles; towels, potholders and food packaging.

· Grease fires should be covered with a lid or cookie sheet and the burner should be turned off. The pan should not be removed until it is completely cool.

· Water, flour or baking soda should not be used to extinguish a stove-top fire, they could cause the fire to spread.

· In the event of an oven fire, turn off the heat, close the door and call 9-1-1.

Heating
· Most fires that are caused by space heaters are because the heater is placed too close to combustibles.

· The space heater should be turned off when leaving.

· The space heater should be placed on a level, hard, non-combustible surface.

· A three-inch clearance should be maintained from combustibles, furniture or people.

· Space heaters should be plugged directly into wall outlets and not used with extension cords.

· When buying space heaters, look for devices with automatic shutoff features, i.e., tip-over switches.

Smoke Alarms
· Smoke alarms play a vital role in reducing deaths and injuries from fire and have contributed nearly a 50 percent decrease in fire deaths since the late 1970s. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms save lives and protect against injury from fire and smoke.

· Two-thirds of all fire deaths occurred in homes with no working smoke alarms.

· When smoke alarms fail it is most often because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Nuisance activations are the leading cause of disabled smoke alarms.

Home Escape Planning
· According to a National Fire Protection Association survey, one in four Americans have developed a home escape plan.

· While 66 percent of Americans have an escape plan, only 35 percent of have practiced it.

· Develop a plan and practice it; it can save lives. Back
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