Fire Prevention & Safety Topics
Practice Your Escape Plan
- Only one-fifth of households have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan to ensure they could escape quickly and safely from their home in an emergency?
- While 66% of Americans have an escape plan in case of a fire, only 35% of those with a plan have practiced it.
- Eighteen to 24-year-olds are the least likely to have even developed an escape plan.
- Candles are a popular way to set a mood or add fragrance to a room, but they can also be a serious fire hazard if proper precautions aren't taken.
- Three-quarters of Americans believe they have 10 minutes or less until a fire turns deadly, the time available is often less.
- Over one-third of reported home structure fires start in the kitchen - more than any other place in the home (Source: Home Cooking Fire Patterns and Trends, John R Hall Jr, July 2006)
- There were an estimated 32,400 home structure fires per year associated with electrical distribution or lighting equipment fires between the years 1999 - 2002. These fires resulted in 220 civilian deaths, 960 civilian injuries and $679 million in direct property damage per year. (Source: Fires in Selected Occupancies, Marty Ahrens, March 2006)
- Only 8% of people said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!
- Thirty-eight percent (38%) of reported home candle fires started in the bedroom, resulting in 35% of the associated civilian deaths.
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