CHARACTERISTICS OF HOME FIRE VICTIMS

CHARACTERISTICS OF HOME FIRE VICTIMS Marty Ahrens October 2014 National Fire Protection Association Fire Analysis and Research Division

CHARACTERISTICS OF HOME FIRE VICTIMS Marty Ahrens October 2014 National Fire Protection Association Fire Analysis and Research Division

Abstract During 2007-2011, U.S. home structure fires killed an estimated average of 2,570 people and caused an average of 13,210 reported civilian (non-firefighter) injuries per year. The risk of home structure fire death and injury is not spread evenly across populations or types of fire. Older adults, African Americans, and those who live in the rural South all face higher than average risk of fire death. Males have a high risk of fire death and injury than females. The age distribution of home fire deaths is changing. The percentage of fatal home fire victims under five years of age fell from 18% in 1980 to 6% in 2011, while the percentage of victims 65 or older increased from 19% to 31% over the same period. Smoke inhalation causes more fire deaths than burns alone. Keywords: fire statistics, older adults, children, home fires, fire victims, residential fires, burns, smoke inhalation, fire deaths Acknowledgements The National Fire Protection Association thanks all the fire departments and state fire authorities who participate in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and the annual NFPA fire experience survey. These firefighters are the original sources of the detailed data that make this analysis possible. Their contributions allow us to estimate the size of the fire problem. We are also grateful to the U.S. Fire Administration for its work in developing, coordinating, and maintaining NFIRS. For more information about the National Fire Protection Association, visit www.nfpa.org or call 617-770-3000. To learn more about the One-Stop Data Shop go to www.nfpa.org/osds or call 617-984-7443. Copies of this report are available from: National Fire Protection Association One-Stop Data Shop 1 Batterymarch Park Quincy, MA 02169-7471 www.nfpa.org e-mail: osds@nfpa.org phone: 617-984-7443 NFPA No. USS01 Copyright 2014, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA

TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures Executive Summary Home Fire Deaths and Injuries: Overall Trends and Patterns by Age, Gender, Race and Region Fact Sheet Page i iii vii xi Overall Trends and Patterns by Age, Sex, Race, and Region 1 Age 4 Gender 6 Race and Ethnicity 8 Region 12 Impact of Demographic Factors on State Fire Death Rates 14 Leading Causes of Fire Deaths and Injuries 24 Smoking Materials 27 Heating Equipment 28 Cooking Equipment 29 Intentionally Set Home Fires 30 Electrical Distribution and Lighting Equipment 31 Candles 32 Playing with Heat Source 33 Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Major Cause for Selected Age Groups 34 The Fire and the Victim 45 Appendix A. How National Estimates Statistics are Calculated 55 Appendix B. Age Group Trends by US Population, Home Fire Deaths and Injuries, Death and Injury rates per Million Population, and Risk 63 Appendix C. Methodology and Definitions Used in Leading Cause Tables 84 Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 i NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 ii NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Figure 1A. Home Fire Deaths, by Year 1 Figure 1B. Reported Home Fire Injuries, by Year 1 Figure 2A. Home Fire Death Rates, by Year 3 Figure 2B. Reported Home Fire Injury Rates, by Year 3 Figure 3. U.S. Home Structure Fire Deaths and Injuries, by Age Group 4 Figure 4. Risk of Civilian Death and Civilian Injury from Home Structure Fires 5 Figure 5. Percentage of Fatal Home Fire Victims Who Were under Five or at least 65 Years Old, by Year 6 Figure 6. Risk of Home Fire Death to People Who Were under Five or at least 65 Years Old, by Year 6 Figure 7. Gender of Home Structure Fire Victims 2007-2011 Annual Averages 6 Figure 8. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Age and Gender 7 Figure 9. Percentage Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Gender in Each Age Group 7 Figure 10. Home Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries by Race and Ethnicity 8 Figure 11. Risk of Home Fire Death and Injury by Race and Ethnicity 8 Figure 12. Percentage of Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Race and Age Group 9 Figure 13. Risk of Home Fire Death and Injury by Race and Age Group 9 Figure 14. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Age Group for Hispanic Victims 10 Figure 15. Risk of Home Fire Death and Injury for Hispanic Victims by Age Group 10 Figure 16. Home Fire Casualties among Children 14 and Under and Adults 65 and Older 10 Figure 17. Risk of Home Fire Casualties among Children 14 and Under and Adults 65 and Older 11 Figure 18. U.S. Census Regions 12 Figure 19A. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries, by Region 12 Figure 19B. Risk of Home Fire Death and Injury, by Region 12 Figure 20. Fire death and Injury Rates per Million Population, by Region and Community Size 13 Table 1. U.S. Civilian Fire Deaths, Injuries, and Death or Injury Rates in Home Structure Fires, by Year 1980-2013 Table 2. U.S. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries Reported in Home Structure Fires, by Age group Table 3. U.S. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries Reported in Home Structure Fires by Age Group and Gender Page 15 17 18 Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 iii NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES (continued) Page Table 4. Home Structure Fire Deaths and Injuries by Race and Ethnicity 20 Table 5. Home Structure Fire Deaths by Race, Ethnicity and Age Group 22 Table 6. Home Structure Fire Deaths and Injuries by Region 23 Figure 21. Major Causes of Home Structure Fire Deaths and Injuries 24 Figure 22. Civilian Deaths and Injuries per 1,000 Reported Home Structure Fires 25 Figure 23. Home Fire Deaths by Year and Fire Cause 26 Figure 24. Home Fire Injuries by Year and Fire Cause 26 Figure 25. Home Structure Fire deaths and Injuries from Fires Involving Smoking Materials by Age of Victim 27 Figure 26. Home Structure Fire Deaths and Injuries from Fire Involving Heating Equipment by Age of Victim 28 Figure 27. Home Structure Fie Deaths and Injuries from Fires Involving Cooking Equipment 29 Figure 28. Home Structure Fire Deaths and Injuries from Intentionally Set Fires 30 Figure 29. Home Structure Fire Deaths and Injuries from Fires Involving Electrical Distribution or Lighting Equipment 31 Figure 30. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries from Fires Started by Candles 32 Figure 31. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries from Fires Started by Playing with Heat Source 33 Figure 32A. Percentage of Home Fire Deaths by Major Cause for Victims under 5, 5-15, and 65 or Older 34 Figure 32B. Percentage of Home Fire Injuries by Major Cause for Victims under 5, 5-15, and 65 or Older 35 Table 7. Rates of Home Fire Deaths and Injuries per Million Population 36 Table 8. Civilian Deaths and Injuries Resulting from Home Structure Fires, by Major Cause and Year 1980-2011 38 Table 9. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries in Home Structure Fires Started by Smoking Materials 41 Table 10. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries in Home Structure Fires Involving by Heating Equipment 41 Table 11. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries in Home Structure Fires Involving by Cooking Equipment 42 Table 12. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries in Intentionally Set in Home Structure Fires 42 Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 iv NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES (continued) Table 13. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries in Home Structure Fires Involving Electrical Distribution and Lighting Equipment 43 Table 14. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries in Home Structure Fires Started by Candles 43 Table 15. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries in Home Structure Fires Caused by Playing with Heat Source 44 Figure 33. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries in which Victims Were Involved in Ignition 45 Figure 34. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries in which Victims were in the Area of Origin 45 Figure 35. Human Factors Contributing to Fatal Injury and Non-Fatal Injury, by Gender 46 Figure 36. Victim Activity by Gender When Fatally and Non-Fatally Injured 47 Figure 37. Non-Fatal Home Fire Injuries by Severity of Injury 48 Figure 38. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Factor Contributing to Injury 49 Figure 39. Home Fire Casualties by Primary Apparent Symptom Recorded by Fire Department 50 Figure 40. Factors Contributing to Fire Deaths in Death Certificate Data 51 Table 16. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Victim s Location at Time of Fire and Involvement in Ignition 52 Table 17. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Victim s Location at Time of Injury 52 Table 18. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Human Factor Contributing to Injury 52 Table 19. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Factor Contributing to Injury 53 Table 20. Burns and Smoke Inhalation as Contributing Factors to Fire Deaths From Death Certificate Data 1999-2011 54 Table B-1. U.S. Population in Millions by Age Group and Year, 1980-2013 64 Table B-2. U.S. Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries in Homes, by Age Group 1980-2011 68 Table B-3. U.S. Civilian Home Fire Death and Injury Rates* (per Million Population) And Risk, by Age Group, 1980-2011 Structure Fires by Year 75 Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 v NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 vi NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Executive Summary During the five-year period of 2007-2011, home structure fires killed an estimated average of 2,570 and injured an average of 13,210 people per year. The risk of home fire death or injury varies by age, race, cause of fire and other factors. To prevent these deaths and injuries, it is necessary to understand both victim demographics and the fire circumstances. The details in this report are based on data from local fire departments. These estimates are derived from the U.S. Fire Administration s National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and NFPA s annual fire department experience survey. Only fires and injuries reported to local fire departments are included in these estimates. Population data from the U.S. Census Bureau was also used. Homes include one- or two-family homes (including manufactured housing) and apartments or other multi-family dwellings. Firefighter fatalities and injuries are excluded from this analysis. Older adults have a greater risk of fire death than the overall population. While adults 65 and older accounted for only 13% of the U.S. population, they accounted for 30% of the home fire deaths. Overall, adults 65 and over were 2.4 times as likely as the general population to die in fires. For those 85 and over, the risk was 3.6 times as high. Young people between 15 and 19 were the least likely to die in a home structure fire compared to other age groups. The risk steadily increases with age. Young children were at greater risk of home fire death in the past than they are today. Historically, children under five and older adults have been at the greatest risk of fire death. This is still true for older adults. However, in 2007-2011, children under five accounted for 7% of the population and an annual average of 200 (8%) home fire deaths. This means that young children were 1.1 times as likely to die in a home fire as the general population. Their risk is lower than the 50-64 age group who faced a home fire death risk 1.4 times that of the overall population. The percentage of fatal home fire victims under five years of age fell from 18% in 1980 to 6% in 2011. The percentage of victims 65 or older increased from 19% to 31% over the same period. The risk of home fire injury varies less with age than the risk of fire death. The pattern for injuries is quite different. The risk of home fire injury is more evenly spread across all age groups, with people 20-49 or 85 and older having the highest risk, 1.2 times that of the overall population. Adults 65 and older overall faced the same risk of home fire injury as the general population. More than half of home fire victims were male. Although US Census Bureau figures show that 51% of the population is female, 56% of fatal home fire victims were male, as were 53% of the people injured in reported home fires. The pattern shifts as the population ages. Among victims 75 and older, 55% of home fire fatalities and 61% of the injured were women. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 vii NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

While the majority of fire victims are white, African Americans faced a much higher risk of fire death and injury. Roughly two-thirds of the people killed (69%) or injured (67%) in home fires were white, yet African Americans were roughly twice as likely to be killed or injured in home fires as the general population. The difference was even greater for children and older adults. The home fire death rate for African American children under 15 years of age, 14.6 deaths per million population, was four times the rate of 3.5 for white children the same age. African American adults 65 and older had a home fire death rate of 56.3 deaths per million, three times the 17.7 rate of white older adults. The Hispanic population had a home fire death rate of 4.5 deaths per million population, less than half the overall home fire death rate of 8.4 deaths per million population and roughly one-quarter the African American rate of 16.3 home fire deaths per million. Although the Midwest had the highest home fire death rate per million population, the analysis in NFPA s 2013 report, U.S. Fire Experience by Region by Michael J, Karter, Jr. showed that the rural South had the highest overall fire death rate by far. (Homes were not analyzed separately in that analysis.) Leading Causes of Fire During 2007-2011, cooking equipment was the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Smoking materials caused the largest share of home fire deaths. Leading causes of fires that injure or kill vary by age and by the risk of death or injury. While 22% of the deaths and 10% of injuries were caused by fires started by smoking materials, one-third (34%) of the fire deaths and 15% of the injuries in the 65 and older age group resulted from these fires. Almost half (46%) of the people killed by home fires started by smoking materials were at least 65 years of age. Cooking equipment continues to be the leading cause of civilian fire injuries and was the third leading cause of home fire death. While only 9% of the victims of fatal home fire caused by cooking were children under five, they accounted for 19% of all home fire deaths in that age group. Even though cooking equipment ranks high in leading causes of home fires and fire casualties, the death rate per 1,000 fires was 2.6, the lowest of the major causes, and the injury rate was 32 per 1,000 fires, tied for fifth among the major causes. Heating equipment was the second leading cause of home fires, deaths and injuries. Only 11% of the fatalities caused by fires involving heating equipment were children under five. However, these deaths accounted for 27% of home fire deaths from all causes among these young children. This is slightly more than the 24% of home fire deaths in the under-five age group caused by playing with heat source, even though three out of five (61%) of those killed by fires started by such play were in this youngest age group. Children under the age of five were nine times as likely to die in a fire caused by playing with a heat source as people of all ages. While only 6% of all home fire injuries resulted from fires caused by playing, these fires caused an average of 106 injuries per 1,000 reported home fires, the highest rate of the major causes and three times the overall rate. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 viii NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

The Fire and the Victim More than half of the victims of home fires were in the area where the fire started when injured. Almost two-thirds (64%) of the people killed and half (51%) of people injured in home fires were involved in the ignition in some way. One-quarter (24%) of the fatalities and 14% of the injured were not in the area of origin but were involved in the ignition in some way, such as leaving cooking unattended or a space heater or candle too close to something that could burn Overall, half (51%) of those killed and three-fifths (60%) of those injured were in the area of origin at the time the incident began, including 39% of the fatalities and 36% of the injured who were in the area of origin and involved in the ignition. The latter group poses a particular challenge for fire protection as the injury may occur before a smoke alarm or sprinkler operates. Even larger percentages of the casualties were in the area of origin when injured. More than half (53%) of those killed and two-thirds (66%) of the injured were in the area of origin when hurt. Factors such as having a disability and being impaired by alcohol or drugs also play a role. Physical disability was a contributing factor in 15% of the deaths and 3% of the injuries. This was a slightly more common factor among females than males. National estimates based on NFIRS data indicate that 15% of the home fire fatalities and 7% of the injured victims were possibly impaired by alcohol, with the factor more commonly seen among males than females. Studies based on autopsy data, generally not available when NFIRS reports are initially completed, suggest alcohol impairment is underreported. People killed in home fires were more likely to have been trying to escape or sleeping. The non-fatally injured were more likely to have been trying to fight the fire themselves. Roughly one-third (36%) of home fire fatalities occurred while the victims were trying to escape and another one-third (34%) were sleeping. Only 3% were engaged in fire control. In contrast, one-third (35%) of the non-fatally injured were hurt while trying to control the fire. Males were more likely to have been fighting the fire and females more likely to have been trying to escape when injured, fatally or non-fatally. Smoke inhalation causes a larger share of fire deaths and injuries than burns do. While death certificate data show a smaller share of fire deaths due to burns alone than NFIRS does, both show that smoke inhalation was a far more frequent cause of death than burns alone. Queries of death certificate data at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention s (CDC s) WONDER online database showed that in 2007-2011, almost half of the fire deaths were due to smoke inhalation alone, one-quarter (24%) were due to both burns and smoke inhalation, and 28% were due to burns alone. In many cases, death certificates are completed after autopsies providing detailed information.. Estimates of primary apparent symptoms derived from NFIRS (fire department) data for the same period showed different proportions: 40% due to smoke inhalation alone, 46% due to both burns and smoke inhalation, and only 5% were due to burns alone. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 ix NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Fire department data suggest that 42% by of the non-fatal home fire injuries were caused by smoke inhalation only, one-quarter (24%) resulted from thermal burns, and 13% were caused by both burns and smoke inhalation. Smoke alarms provide a critical early warning. Individuals must be able to take appropriate action to benefit from that warning. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms can provide early warning of a developing fire, or sometimes, a situation that could become a fire. However, by themselves, smoke alarms cannot control a fire or ensure that someone is able to evacuate safely. If someone is intimately involved in ignition, he or she may be seriously injured in the earliest stages of the fire before smoke reaches the smoke alarm. Because home fire sprinklers can actually control the fire, they reduce the risk of death even more. In NFPA s 2013 report on fire sprinklers, John Hall wrote that some type of fire sprinkler system was present in only 6% of reported home structure fires in 2007-2011. When wet pipe sprinklers were present, the death rate per 1,000 fires was 82% lower compared to home fires with no automatic extinguishing equipment at all. Visit NFPA s website for more information. Additional statistical reports on various fire causes, smoke alarms and sprinkler performance in fires and fires in other occupancies can be found under the Research tab. Resources such as tip sheets and safety messaging for consumers and life safety education can be found under the Safety Information tab. NFPA also has numerous codes and standards which may be viewed online at no charge. We are still losing too many people to fire and too many people are being hurt. Please use this information to bring these numbers down. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 x NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Home Fire Deaths and Injuries: Overall Trends and Patterns by Age, Gender and Race Fact Sheet During 2007-2011, home structure fires killed an estimated average of 2,570 people and caused an average of 13,210 reported civilian (non-firefighter) injuries per year. Males were more likely to be killed or injured in home fires than females (56% of the deaths and 53% of the injuries) Only 13% of the U.S. population is 65 or older, but 30% of the home fire fatalities were at least 65 years of age. The percentage of fatal home fire victims under five years of age fell from 18% in 1980 to 6% in 2011, while the percentage of victims 65 or older increased from 19% to 31% over the same period. U.S. Home Structure Fire Deaths and Injuries by Age Group 2007-2011 Under 5 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85+ 7% 8% 4% 7% 4% 3% 7% 3% 3% 7% 2% 6% 7% 7% 4% 4% 2% 7% 2% 11% 13% 11% 17% 2009 Population Civilian deaths Civilian injuries 21% 21% 18% 20% 25% 25% 25% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Percentage of Fatal Home Fire Victims Who Were under Five or at least 65 Years Old, by Year 40% 30% 19% 20% 10% 0% 18% Under 5 65 and older Because NFIRS was in transition to Version 5.0 from 1999 to 2001, estimates for these years are less representative and, therefore, not shown. 31% 6% Compared to their share of the population, African Americans were roughly twice as likely to killed or injured in a home fire in 2007-2011 as the overall population. The difference was even greater for children and older adults. The home fire death rate for African American children under 15 (14.6 deaths per million population) was four times the rate of 3.5 for white children the same age. African American adults 65 and older had a home fire death rate of 56.3 deaths per million, three times the 17.7 rate of white older adults. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 xi NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Home Fire Victims by Major Cause and Age During 2007-2011, cooking equipment was the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Smoking was the leading cause of home fire deaths. Leading causes of fires that injure or kill vary by age group and by the risk of death or injury. While 22% of the deaths and 10% of injuries were caused by fires started by smoking materials, onethird of the fire deaths and 15% of the injuries in the 65 and older age group resulted from these fires. Three out of five (61%) people killed in fires started by playing with a heat source were children under five. However, fires started by heating equipment caused 27% of the deaths in this age group vs. 24% of the deaths caused by playing. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Major Cause for Victims under Five and 65 or Older: 2007-2011 Home Fire Deaths Home Fire Injuries 6% Cooking equipment 24% 36% Smoking materials 34% 38% 22% 14% 27% Heating equipment 12% Heating equipment 23% 12% 19% 5% 19% Smoking materials 15% Cooking equipment 17% 10% 16% Electrical distribution or 7% Electrical distribution or 11% 9% 12% lighting 7% lighting 13% 9% 16% Intentional 4% Intentional 5% 7% Victims under 5 13% Victims under five 8% Victims 65 and older 7% Victims 65 and older Candle 5% Candle 3% 7% All victims 4% All victims 17% 24% Play with heat source 1% Play with heat source 0% 6% 3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Although cooking was the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries and the third leading cause of home fire deaths, the risk of death or injury per 1,000 cooking fires is lower than for most other major causes. The risk of injury from home fires started by playing with heat source was the highest of the major causes even though only 6% of the injuries were caused by such play. Home Fire Deaths per 1,000 fires Smoking materials Electrical distribution or lighting Intentional Candles Play with heat source 11.5 10.9 10.8 14.5 32.3 Home Fire Injuries per 1,000 fires Play with heat source Candles Smoking materials Electrical distribution or lighting Intentional 32 42 72 85 106 Heating equipment 8.1 Cooking equipment 32 Cooking equipment 2.6 Heating equipment 27 Total 7.0 Total 36 0 10 20 30 40 0 25 50 75 100 125 Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 xii NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Overall Trends and Patterns by Age, Sex, Race and Region Reported home fires killed 2,570 and injured 13,210 per year in 2007-2011. Fires that occurred in the home in 2007-2011 caused an estimated average of 2,570 civilian fire deaths and 13,210 reported civilian fire injuries per year. Home 1 fires caused four out of five (81%) fire deaths and three out of four (76%) reported civilian fire injuries during this period. Fire department data compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration s National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and NFPA s annual fire department experience survey were used to calculate national estimates of the patterns and characteristics of civilians (non-firefighters) killed by home fires in the U.S. See Appendix A for a detailed description of the methodology used. The survey also provides the most current data the estimates for overall trends of home fire deaths and injuries. Civilian Fire Death and Injury Trends Home fire deaths are up from record lows but still down 47% from 1980. According to estimates derived from NFPA s annual fire department experience survey, civilian fire deaths caused by home structure fires fell 47% from 5,200 in 1980 to 2,755 in 2013. Home fire death estimates for 2012 were the lowest reported since NFPA began collecting this data. From 2012 to 2013, deaths rose 16% from 2,380 to 2,755. Reported civilian fire injuries in home structure fires fell 38% from 19,700 in 1980 to 12,200 in 2013. This was a new low for reported injuries and 5% below the 12,875 injuries reported in 2012. (See Figure 1 and Table 1.) 6,000 5,000 Figure 1A. Home Fire Deaths, by Year 5,200 25,000 Figure 1B. Reported Home Fire Injuries, by Year 19,700 20,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 2,755 15,000 10,000 12,200 1,000 5,000 0 0. Source: NFPA s Fire Loss in the U.S. series. 1 The term home encompasses one-or two-family homes, including manufactured housing, and apartment or other multi-family housing. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 1 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Data Sources, Definitions and Conventions Used in this Report Unless otherwise specified, the statistics in this analysis are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. The 2007-2011 estimates are derived from the detailed information collected in Version 5.0 of the U.S. Fire Administration s National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS 5.0) and the National Fire Protection Association s (NFPA s) annual fire department experience survey. Except for property use and incident type, fires with unknown or unreported data were allocated proportionally in calculations of national estimates. In most analyses done on the civilian casualty module only, confined and non-confined fires were analyzed together. Non-confined and confined fires were analyzed separately to obtain the frequency of deaths and injuries by major cause. What is included in NFPA s definition of home? detached dwellings, duplexes, and manufactured housing, and apartments, tenements, and flats, townhouses, row houses, and other multifamily housing, regardless of ownership. In general, any fire that occurs in or on a structure is considered a structure fire, even if the fire was limited to contents and the building itself was not damaged. Population data for 2009, the midpoint year, is typically used to calculate average rates. Rates of death or injury per million population and relative risk of death or injury are used throughout this report. Because 2009 is the midpoint for the-year period of 2007-2011, U.S. Census Bureau estimates of resident population for that year are used to calculate average rates. Rates by year use US Census data for that year. Additional information Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Civilian deaths and injuries are generally rounded to the nearest ten (except for estimates based solely on the NFPA survey where deaths are rounded to the nearest five and injuries to the nearest 25.) Additional details on the general methodology may be found in Appendix A. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 2 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

With increasing population, home civilian fire death and injury rates per million population have fallen more than the actual deaths and injuries since 1980. The civilian fire death rate of 8.7 deaths per million population was 62% lower in 2013 than the rate of 23.0 in 1980. The reported home civilian fire injury rate of 38.6 injuries per million population in 2013 was 56% lower than the rate of 87.0 in 1980. In 2009-2013, the civilian fire death rate ranged from a low of 7.6 in 2012 to a high of 8.7 in 2013. During the same time period, civilian injury rates ranged from a low of 38.6 in 2013 to a high of 44.6 in 2011. (See Figure 2 and Table 1). Figure 2A. Home Fire Death Rates by Year Figure 2B. Reported Home Fire Injury Rates by Year 25 20 Deaths per Milliomn Population 15 10 5 0 23.0 8.7 Injuries per Million Population 100 87.0 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 38.6 Source: NFPA s Fire Loss in the U.S. series and U.S. Census Bureau. Why Why do NFPA s do NFPA s home home fire fire death death estimates differ from from the the residential residential fire fire death death certificate certificate data? data? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains the Web-based Injury The Statistics Centers for Query Disease and Control Reporting and Prevention System (WISQARS). (CDC) maintains NF s the estimates Web-based of home fire deaths Injury Statistics exceed their Query counts and Reporting of residential System fires (WISQARS). because NFPA s estimates estimates of are derived home from fire fire deaths department exceed CDC s data, counts not vital of residential statistics, fires and because the WISQARS NFPA s query is limited estimates to unintentional are derived from fire deaths, fire department excluding data, fire not deaths vital statistics. associated The WISQARS with suicide, homicide query and is limited undetermined to unintentional intent, fire but deaths, not necessarily excluding fire excluding deaths associated deaths with that occur suicide, homicide and undetermined intent, but not necessarily excluding deaths at home outside the structure. Note that CDC uses the term residential to refer that occur at home outside the structure. Note that CDC uses the term residential to what NFPA calls home. to refer to what NFPA calls home. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 3 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Age Older adults have a greater risk of fire death than the overall population. In 2007-2011, home fires killed an estimated average of 780 people 65 or older per year. While this age group accounted for only 13% of the population, Table 2 and Figure 3 show that they accounted for 30% of the fire deaths. Fire death risk is lowest for the 15-19 age group. Young people between 15 and 19 have the lowest relative risk of dying in a home structure fire compared to other age groups. Risk steadily increases with age. Figure 4 and Table 2 show that adults in the 50-64 age group have a relative risk 1.4 times that of the general population. Overall, adults 65 and over were 2.4 times as likely as the general population to die in fires. For those 85 and over, the risk was 3.6 times as high. Risk risk compares the risk of a specific group versus the population at large. The relative risk of fire death or injury for each age group was calculated by dividing the rate of death or injury per million population for each age group by the rate of the general population. The relative risk for all age groups combined is 1.0. A value higher than 1.0 for a specific age group means that age group is at higher risk of death than the general public. 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% Figure 3. U.S. Home Structure Fire Deaths and Injuries by Age Group 2007-2011 8% 7% 7% 7% 7% 6% 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2009 Population Civilian deaths Civilian injuries 21% 21% 11% 25% 17% 25% 25% 20% 18% 7% 13% 7% 4% 11% 4% 2% 7% 2% 0% Under 5 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85+ Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau. It is important to remember that those at highest risk are not necessarily the most frequent victims. More than half (53%) of the people killed in home fires were between the ages of 20 and 64. Young children face less risk of fire death than in the past. Historically, children under five and older adults have been at the greatest risk of fire death. While this is still true for older adults, in 2007-2011, children under five accounted for 7% of the Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 4 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

population and 200, or 8%, of home fire deaths. This means that young children had a relative risk of 1.1 of home fire death, which is less than the 1.4 risk of those in the 50-64 age group. Figure 4. Risk of Civilian Death and Civilian Injury from Home Structure Fires 2007-2011 Annual Averages 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5-1.1 0.6 Civilian deaths 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.5 0.4 0.3 Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau. Figure 5 shows that in 1980, two age groups, children under five and adults 65 or older, accounted for comparable shares (roughly one in five) of home fire deaths. Nineteen percent of the victims that year were at least 65 while 18% were under five years of age. In 2011, almost one-third (31%) of home fire fatalities were 65 or older; only 6% were children under 5. Figure 6 shows that in 1980, the relative risk of home fire death was actually higher for children under five (2.5) than for adults 65 and older (1.7). In 2011, the relative risk for these young children had dropped to 0.9, slightly below that of the general population, while it rose to 2.3 for these older adults. Tables in Appendix B show age group estimates by year for population, home structure fire civilian deaths and injuries, the risk per million population of these casualties, and the relative risk compared to the total population. The risk of fire death for children under five years of age has declined sharply since 1994, when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) instituted requirements for child resistance in disposable lighters. During 2007-2011, one of every five U.S. residents (20%) was under 15 years of age. These children accounted for annual averages of 380, or 15%, of home fire deaths (relative risk of 0.7) and 1,780, or 11%, of reported home fire injuries (relative risk 0.5). Civilian injuries 0.5 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.0 Under 5 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over Fire injury risk is differently and more evenly distributed across age groups. The pattern for injuries is quite different. The relative risk of home fire injury is more evenly spread across all age groups, with people 20-49 or 85 and older having the highest risk, 1.2 times that of the overall population. Adults 65 and older overall faced the same risk of home fire injury as the general population. 0.8 1.9 2.6 3.6 Why are there breaks in trend graphs? NFIRS 5.0 was gradually introduced beginning in 1999. Due to limited participation in 1999-2001, estimates for these years are unstable and should be used with caution. They are shown in the tables but not in the graphs. 1.2 Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 5 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Figure 5. Percentage of Fatal Home Fire Victims Who Were under Five or at least 65 Years Old, by Year 40% Under 5 65 and older 31% 30% Figure 6. Risk of Home Fire Death to People Who Were under Five or at least 65 Years Old, by Year 4 Under 5 3 2.5 65 and older 19% 20% 2 2.3 10% 18% 1 1.7 0% 6% 0 0.9 Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau. Gender Males have a higher risk of fire death and injury in home structure fires. Although US Census Bureau figures show that 51% of the population is female, Figure 7 shows that 56% of fatal home fire victims were male, as were 53% of the people injured in reported home fires. Males have a relative risk of 1.1 for fire deaths and injuries. For females, the relative risk is 0.9. Figure 7. Gender of Home Structure Fire Victims: 2007-2011 Annual Averages Figure 7A. Home Fire Deaths Figure 7B. Home Fire Injuries Females, 1,130, 44% Males, 1,450, 56% Females, 6,210, 47% Males, 7,000, 53% Source: NFIRS and NFPA Survey. Although males have a higher risk of home fire death per million population throughout life, Figure 8 shows that the majority of fatal fire victims in the 75 and older age groups were female as were the majority of the home fire injuries in the 65 and older age groups. Table 3 shows that Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 6 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

the injury rate per million population was higher for females age 75-84 than for males in that age group. Figure 8. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Age and Gender 2007-2011 Annual Averages Under 5 Figure 8A. Home Fire Deaths 120 80 Under 5 Figure 8B. Home Fire Injuries 340260 5-9 60 50 5-9 210 150 10-14 15-19 20-34 30 30 40 20 160 110 Males Females 10-14 15-19 20-34 240 210 420 360 1,850 Males Females 1,480 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85+ 250 180 400 250 180 150 130 150 70 100 0 200 400 600 800 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85+ 1,780 1,460 1,400 1,270 420 480 240350 90 190 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 Source: NFIRS and NFPA Survey. Figure 9 shows the percentage of home fire deaths and injuries by gender in each age group. Figure 9. Percentage Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Gender in Each Age Group Figure 9A. Home Fire Deaths Males Females Under 5 60% 40% 5-9 56% 44% 10-14 52% 48% 15-19 60% 40% 20-34 60% 40% 35-49 58% 42% 50-64 61% 39% 65-74 55% 45% 75-84 47% 53% 85+ 41% 59% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Figure 9B. Home Fire Injuries Males Females Under 5 57% 43% 5-9 58% 42% 10-14 53% 47% 15-19 54% 46% 20-34 56% 44% 35-49 55% 45% 50-64 52% 48% 65-74 47% 53% 75-84 41% 59% 85+ 33% 67% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: NFIRS and NFPA Survey. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 7 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Race and Ethnicity African American individuals face roughly twice the risk of home fire death or injury as the general population. Figure 10 and Table 4 show that roughly two-thirds of the people killed (69%) or injured (67%) in home fires were white, yet Figure 11 shows that African Americans had roughly twice the relative risk of fire death (1.9) and fire injury (2.1) as the general population. Hispanics had a relative risk of home fire death that was half that of the general population, while their injury risk was closer to that of the general population. Figure 10. Home Civilian Fire Deaths and Injuries by Race and Ethnicity in 2007-2011 100% 91% 84% 86% 80% 80% Population Deaths Injuries 69% 65% 60% 40% 20% 0% 25% 27% 13% 16% 14% 8% 6% 8% 9% White African American Other Non-Hispanic Hispanic Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau Table 4 and Figure 12 show that 11% of African American fire fatalities were children under five years of age compared to only 5% of white fatalities. Figure 13 shows that the relative risk of fire death was 2.7 times as high for an African American child as for the population at large. African Americans over 85 were 16.8 times as likely to die in a fire as members of the general population. risk was calculated by dividing the death and injury per million population for each race or ethnicity, and for Figures 13, 15 and 17, age, (See Table 5) by the overall rates of 8.4 deaths and 43.0 injuries per million population. Figure 11. Risk of Home Fire Death and Injury by Race and Ethnicity in 2007-2011 2.5 2.1 1.9 2.0 risk 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.9 0.8 1.1 0.8 1.1 1.0 0.5 0.9 0.0 White African American Other Non-Hispanic Hispanic Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 8 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Figure 12. Percentage of Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Race and Age Group 2007-2011 Figure 12A. Home Fire Deaths Under 5 11% 5% 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85+ 3% 4% 2% 3% 2% 6% 9% 8% 7% 9% 12% 14% 18% 12% 14% 13% African American White 20% 28% 0% 10% 20% 30% Under 5 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85+ Source: NFIRS and NFPA Survey. Figure 12B. Home Fire Injuries 5% 3% 3% 2% 5% 3% 3% 5% 1% 2% 8% 5% 6% 8% African American White 19% 22% 25% 24% 25% 26% 0% 10% 20% 30% The three groups show fairly similar patterns of which age groups have the greatest risk of fire death and injury. The biggest difference is in the extent of the risk. Because 80% of the population is white, the white experience most closely resembles that of the overall population. Under 5 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85+ Figure 13. Risk of Home Fire Death and Injury by Race and Age Group 2007-2011 Annual Averages Figure 13A. Home Fire Deaths 0.7 1.5 0.4 0.9 0.2 0.6 0.2 1.1 0.4 1.3 0.7 2.5 1.3 1.7 2.7 2.4 2.9 4.9 African American White 6.6 16.8 0 5 10 15 20 Under 5 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85+ Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau Figure 13B. Home Fire Injuries 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.6 1.0 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.8 African American White 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4 3.3 0 1 2 3 4 Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 9 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Table 5C and Figure 14 show that children under five accounted for a larger share of the Hispanic fire deaths (17%) and injuries (8%) than was seen in African American or white populations. Note that Hispanics may be either African American or white. The US. Census Bureau reports that that 10% of the Hispanic resident population was under five, compared to 8% of the African American population and 6% of whites. Despite the larger percentage of young child fire deaths and injuries among Hispanics, the relative risk of fire death for these Hispanic youngsters was lower than the risk of African American and white populations while the injury risk was higher than for whites but lower than the risk seen in the African American population. This is consistent across the life span. Figure 14. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries by Age Group for Hispanic Victims 2007-2011 Under 5 17% 8% 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 85+ 3% 2% 1% 4% 5% 5% 5% 8% 6% 4% 7% 9% 16% 14% 14% 20% Civilian deaths Civilian injuries 23% 29% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau Figure 15. Risk of Home Fire Death and Injury for Hispanic Victims by Age Group 2007-2011 Annual Averages Under 5 0.5 0.4 Figure 16 shows the percentage of home fire casualties for two combined age groups, children 14 and under and adults 65 and older. The age breakdown within the general population varies by race and ethnicity. The Hispanic population has the largest percentage of children while the white population has the largest percentage of older adults. The percentage of Hispanic child fatalities is slightly greater than the child percentage of the population. 10-14 15-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75-84 0.3 0.4 0.9 0.7 Figure 16. Home Fire Casualties among Children 14 and Under and Adults 65 and Older 2007-2011 5-9 85+ 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.7 1.0 1.0 1.1 0.9 1.0 1.4 1.4 Civilian deaths Civilian injuries 2.2 2.5 0 1 2 3 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% African American White Hispanic 14 and Under 65 and Over 34% 31% 29% 29% 23% 21% 19% 18% 13% 14% 15% 15% 9% 9% 10% 7% 7% 5% Population Deaths Injuries Population Deaths Injuries Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 10 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

The percentage of child fire injuries was below the population percentages for all three groups. The percentage of older adult deaths was roughly two to three times that of the share of the population while injuries were only slightly higher than population shares. Table 5A shows that African American children 14 and under had a home fire death rate of 14.6 deaths per million population. The death rate for these African American children was four times the rate of 3.5 deaths per million population for white children under 15 and 3.0 times the 4.9 home deaths per million Hispanic children. The death rate for African American older adults was 56.3, or 6.7 times the overall fire death rate. It was also 3.2 times the 17.7 rate of white older adult fire deaths and 4.6 times the rate of Hispanic older adult deaths per million population. Figure 17 shows the relative risk of home fire death and injury by race and ethnicity for children 14 and under and adults 65 and older compared to the risk for the overall population. The relative risk for white and Hispanic members of these age groups was much lower for both fire death and injury than the risk faced by African Americans the same age. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Figure 17. Risk of Home Fire Casualties among Children 14 and Under and Adults 65 and Older: 2007-2011 African American White Hispanic 6.7 14 and Under 65 and Over 2.5 2.1 1.7 1.5 1.1 1.2 0.9 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.5 Deaths Injuries Deaths Injuries Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau Race and ethnicity are correlates of other factors that may have a greater impact on risk. In their analysis of 1988-1992 fire death rates from counties with populations of 250,000 or more, Hannon and Shai found that Areas with a high proportion of African Americans and a low median family income tend to have exceptionally high fire death rates, and racial composition appears unrelated to variation in the fire death rate among areas with very high levels of income. 2 2 Lance Hannon and Donna Shai. The Truly Disadvantaged and the Structural Covariates of Fire Death Rates, The Social Science Journal, 40 (2003) p. 134. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 11 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Region In 2007-2011, the highest risk of fire death was for individuals living in the Midwest, followed closely by the South. Table 6 and Figure 19A show that almost half (46%) of U.S. home fire deaths occurred in the South. The South, with 37% of the nation s population in 2009, the midpoint of this period, has the largest population of the four U.S. Census regions. 3 Figure 19B shows that people in the Midwest had the highest relative risk of home fire death of the four regions in 2007-2011. The South was a close second. Figure 18. U.S. Census Regions Figure 20 shows that people in the Midwest also faced the highest relative risk of home fire injury. The Northeast ranked second. Figure 19A. Home Fire Deaths and Injuries By Region 2007-2011 Figure 19B. Risk of Home Fire Death and Injury by Region 2007-2011 Annual Averages Civilian deaths Civilian injuries Population 50% 40% 30% 46% 38% 37% 28% 29% 23% 22% 19% 20% 18% 13% 13% 14% 10% 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 Civilian deaths 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.7 Civilian injuries 1.3 1.3 0.6 0.6 0% Northeast South Midwest West 0.0 Northeast South Midwest West Source: NFIRS, NFPA Survey and US Census Bureau The patterns of fire death and injury vary by community size. In NFPA s 2013 report, U.S. Fire Experience by Region, Michael J, Karter, Jr. examined fire death and injury rates by community size for the four different regions. i 4 While his analysis was not restricted to deaths from home fires, 78-85% of fire deaths in all four regions resulted from home fires. 3 U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 (NST-EST2009-01) December 2009. 4 Michael J. Karter, Jr., U.S. Fire Experience by Region, NFPA: Quincy, MA, 2013, p. 25. Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 12 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

The highest overall annual average fire death rates in 2007-2011 were seen in rural communities of less than 2,500 people. However, there are pronounced differences between the regions. Figure 20A shows that nationally, these very small communities had a fire death rate of 19.9 per million population, roughly twice the overall national rate of 10.4. The rate for rural Southern communities was 33.6, almost twice the national rate for rural communities and three times the overall national rate. In contrast, the death rate for rural communities in the Northeast was only 8.2, the second lowest rate of all community sizes in the Northeast. The Midwest had the highest rate of all four regions in cities of 250,000 or more. The highest fire injury rates were seen in Northeastern cities of 50,000 or more. Figure 20. Fire Death and Injury Rates per Million Population by Region and Community Size 2007-2011 (Not restricted to homes) Figure 20A. Fire Death Rates Figure 20B. Fire Injury Rates Under 2,500 8.2 14.9 13.2 19.9 33.6 Under 2,500 33 53 54 60 75 2,500 to 4,999 5,000 to 9,999 10,000 to 24,999 25,000 to 49,999 50,000 to 99,999 100,000 to 249,999 250,000 or more 6.1 6.3 10.9 11.0 11.8 11.0 8.8 8.7 9.3 10.2 9.6 6.1 8.0 9.7 10.1 9.2 7.1 8.9 13.4 10.8 10.0 6.8 8.1 11.4 10.5 12.6 6.2 17.2 16.2 15.1 19.6 11.8 10.5 16.1 10.5 National Northeast South Midwest West 0 10 20 30 40 2,500 to 4,999 5,000 to 9,999 10,000 to 24,999 25,000 to 49,999 50,000 to 99,999 100,000 to 249,999 250,000 or more 28 43 46 47 44 38 33 35 46 43 41 50 36 39 45 50 60 62 61 64 57 68 76 77 75 65 65 70 65 67 76 74 95 103 National Northeast South Midwest West 115 0 50 100 150 Source: NFPA s 2013 report, U.S. Fire Experience by Region, Michael J, Karter, Jr., p. 25 Characteristics of Home Fire Victims, 10/14 13 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA