New USFA Report: 360,900 Residential Building Fires Each Year and Cooking Was Leading Cause Of These Fires.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

New USFA Report: 360,900 Residential Building Fires Each Year and Cooking Was Leading Cause Of These Fires.

New Report: Residential Building Fires (2009-2011) - An estimated 360,900 residential building fires were reported to U.S. fire departments each year and caused 2,495 deaths, 13,250 injuries and $7 billion in property losses. Cooking was the leading cause of these fires.

Download our free report to learn more about the characteristics of residential building fires.

Residential Building Fires (2009–2011)

From 2009 to 2011, fire departments responded to an estimated 360,900 fires in residential buildings each year across the nation. These fires resulted in an annual average of 2,495 deaths, 13,250 injuries and $7 billion in property losses.

Findings from this report:

An estimated 360,900 residential building fires were reported to United States fire departments each year and caused an estimated 2,495 deaths, 13,250 injuries and $7 billion in property losses.
Cooking was the leading cause of residential building fires (46 percent). Nearly all residential building cooking fires were small, confined fires (94 percent).
Residential building fire incidence was higher in the cooler months, peaking in January at 11 percent.
Residential building fires occurred most frequently in the early evening hours, peaking during the dinner hours from 5 to 8 p.m., when cooking fires are high.
Nonconfined residential building fires most often started in cooking areas and kitchens (22 percent).
In 48 percent of nonconfined residential building fires, the fire extended beyond the room of origin. The leading causes of these larger fires were electrical malfunctions (16 percent), unintentional or careless actions (16 percent), intentional (12 percent) and open flame (11 percent).
The leading factor contributing to ignition category was misuse of material or product (37 percent).
Smoke alarms were not present in 22 percent of the larger nonconfined fires in occupied residential buildings. This is a high percentage when compared to the 3 percent of households lacking smoke alarms nationally.

Download: Residential Building Fires (2009-2011) (PDF, 1 Mb)
Recently Released

Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2009-2011) (PDF, 705 Kb)
Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings (2009-2011) (PDF, 840 Kb)
Civilian Fire Injuries in Residential Buildings (2009-2011) (PDF, 1 Mb)

---------------------------------------------

CFN - California Fire News 2013

No comments:

How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Wednesday, May 29, 2013