I remember being taught fire safety principles when I was a kid. That was some 50 years ago. Maybe I’m just out of the loop, but it doesn’t seem like fire safety gets as much attention these days. That is unfortunate because structure fires are still a problem in the U.S.
Structure fires result in billions of dollars in damage every year. But property can always be repaired or replaced. More important is the fact that structure fires claim thousands of lives and cause tens of thousands of injuries. If there is good news in any of this then it is the fact that we can all take basic steps to protect ourselves.
The Seriousness of the Problem
As a kid, every siren I heard got my attention. Perhaps the sirens made me more aware of fire and its potential risks. But I have since gotten used to sirens. My brain has learned to block them out. Yet that has not stopped fires from being just as destructive and deadly.
How serious is the fire problem in the 2020s? Check out these numbers from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):
- 1.39 million fires occurred in 2023; 34% were structure fires.
- Firefighters responded to a fire every 23 seconds during that year.
- 24% of the fires involved residential structures.
- 2023 structure fires led to 3,070 civilian deaths and 11,790 civilian injuries.
- Total property damage from fire reached $23 billion in 2023.
It can be hard to wrap your brain around such numbers. How many of us can imagine the practical implications of $1 million, let alone $23 billion? And the financial losses are nothing. Pondering the loss of human life can be overwhelming.
Fire Safety Is So Important
As a kid, I had no concept of fire safety. The fire drills we ran in school were great because they got us out of class. But I never stopped to contemplate what I would do if there were a real fire. At home, we had no evacuation plan. If a fire had broken out in our 100+ year-old house, I am quite confident there would have been some injuries. A family member might have died.
I now know just how important fire safety is. I understand why fire experts recommend:
1. Safe Cooking
Experts say that we should never leave cooking food unattended on the stove. They remind us to be very careful with hot grease and to keep flammable materials away from open flame. Their recommendations are not random. A fair percentage of residential fires start in the kitchen.
2. Safe Smoking
Careless smoking is another big cause of residential fires. That is why experts say homeowners should never smoke in bed. It is why they recommend making sure cigarettes are fully extinguished before throwing them in the trash or letting them sit in an ashtray. It is why they recommend keeping matches and lighters away from children.
3. Caution With Candles
Open flames always pose a certain level of risk in the home. We don’t necessarily have to give up all candles entirely, but experts do warn us to be careful with them. Burning candles should never be placed within close proximity of flammable things – like window coverings, upholstered furniture, and clothing. Candles should also never be left unattended.
Smoke Alarms Are a No-Brainer
The thought of falling victim to flames is not a comfortable one. But did you know a bigger danger in residential fires is smoke? It’s true. Thick, black smoke can render a victim unconscious – or even kill – long before flames reach the space. Now you know why fire experts push so hard for smoke detectors.
Also known as smoke alarms, smoke detectors continually monitor smoke, heat, or both. They are capable of alerting occupants to a potential fire in the earliest possible stages. Think of the benefits of that. The earlier a homeowner is alerted to a fire, the more time he needs to get himself and his family out of the house.
There really is no excuse for a home not having at least one smoke alarm installed. Inexpensive smoke alarms are available at just about every department store and DIY outlet. Even better, standalone smoke alarms are simple to install.
Integrated Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms can also be integrated into home security systems. What is the benefit? According to Vivint, adding smoke alarms to a monitored home security system offers a higher level of protection by keeping an eye on the house whether someone is home or not.
Overnight, a person who does not hear a smoke alarm could be overcome by smoke. But monitoring personnel located in a remote location can still alert the local fire department to a fire. That could save the occupant’s life.
Every home should be equipped with at least one smoke alarm. Vivint suggests more than one. For maximum safety, a home should be equipped with a smoke alarm in the vicinity of the kitchen. But then there should also be another alarm in the general vicinity of the home’s bedrooms. If bedrooms are located on different ends of the home, there should be a smoke alarm near each bedroom grouping.
A Word About Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Although fire safety is the main thrust of this post, it doesn’t hurt to interject a quick word about carbon monoxide detectors. They also come highly recommended by fire experts.
Carbon monoxide is especially dangerous because it is colorless and odorless. It can kill faster than the smoke from a fire. This suggests that, along with smoke alarms, homes should be equipped with carbon monoxide detectors.
Structure fires continue to be a problem in the U.S. More importantly, the NFPA says most of the gains we have made in reducing overall fires, injuries, and deaths occurred in the 2000s. That was more than a decade ago. Their statistics clearly demonstrate that we still have a lot of work to do if we want to be safer.
