Fire Safety and Burns - Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates
Burn injury and incidence rates:
The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the United States Fire Administration (part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency):
Injury and death rates:
- The majority of fire-related deaths (70 percent) are caused by smoke inhalation of the toxic gases produced by fires. Actual flames and burns only account for about 30 percent of fire-related deaths and injuries.
- The majority of fires that kill or injure children are residential fires.
- The majority of children ages 4 and under who are hospitalized for burn-related injuries suffer from scald burns (65 percent) or contact burns (20 percent).
- Fireworks-related injuries sent more than 3,800 children to hospital emergency rooms in 1997.
- Fires kill almost 600 children ages 14 and under each year and injure approximately 40,000 other children.
- Approximately 99,630 children ages 14 and under were treated at hospital emergency rooms for burn-related injuries - 61,370 were thermal burns, 26,110 were scald burns, 6,850 were chemical burns, and 2,770 were electrical burns.
- Hot tap water scald burns cause more deaths and hospitalizations than any other hot liquid burns.
Causes:
- The leading cause of home fires and related injuries is home-cooking equipment. However, most fire-related deaths are from residential fires ignited by smoking materials such as cigarettes.
- The leading cause of residential fire-related death and injury among children ages 9 and under is due to carelessness.
- The most common causes of product-related thermal burn injuries among children ages 14 and under are hair curlers, curling irons, room heaters, ovens and ranges, irons, gasoline, and fireworks.
- Most scald burns to children, especially small children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years, are caused by hot foods or liquids spilled in the kitchen, or other areas where food is prepared and served.
Where and when:
- Over half of children ages 5 and under who die from home fires are asleep at the time of the fire. Another one-third of these children are too young to react appropriately.
- Deadly residential fires are most likely to start in a living or sleeping area.
- Residential fires and related deaths occur more often during cold-weather months, December through February, due to portable or area heating equipment.
- Most child play home fires begin in a bedroom or living room where children are left unattended. The majority of these fires (80 percent) are started by children playing with matches or lighters.
- Most tap water scald burns occur in the bathroom, and tend to cover larger portions of the body more severely.
- Approximately 55 percent of all fireworks-related injuries are burns that usually occur to the hands, head, and eyes. The majority of fireworks-related injuries (60 percent) occur during July 4 celebrations.
- Electrical cords and extension cords cause almost two-thirds of electrical burn injuries to children ages 12 and under.
- Burns caused by the microwave are usually scald burns (95 percent) caused by spilled hot liquid or foods. Most microwave scald burns occur to the trunk or the face.
- Homes without working smoke alarms are more than two-and-a-half as likely to have a fire. Two-thirds of residential fires that kill children occur in homes without a working smoke alarm.
Who:
- Children in homes without working smoke alarms are at greater risk of fire-related death and injury in the event of a fire.
- Children ages 5 and under are more than twice as likely to die in a fire than any other age group.
- Boys are at a higher risk of fire and burn-related death and injury than girls.
- More than one-third of children ages 6 to 14 reportedly have played with fire at least once. Boys are nearly twice as likely to have played with fire than girls.
- Children from low-income families are at greater risk for fire-related death and injury. Low-income families tend to lack working smoke alarms, live in substandard housing, use alternative heating sources, and have economic constraints on providing adequate adult supervision.
- Children in rural areas are more than twice as likely to die in a residential fire than children in large cities.
- African-American children are more than three times as likely to die in a fire than Caucasian children.
- Native American children are more than two times as likely to die in a fire than Caucasian children.
- Almost half of residential fire-related deaths among children ages 9 and under (43 percent) occur when the child is attempting to escape, is unable to act, or is acting irrationally.
- Children ages 4 and under and children with disabilities are at the greatest risk of burn-related death and injury, especially scald and contact burns.
- Boys, especially between the ages 10 and 14, are at the highest risk of fireworks-related injuries. Children ages 4 and under are at the highest risk for sparkler-related injuries.
Smoke alarm and sprinkler system statistics:
- By 1997, the majority of homes (94 percent) in the United States had at least one smoke alarm. However, only three-quarters of all homes had at least one working smoke alarm.
- Automatic sprinkler systems reduce the chance of dying in a residential fire by approximately 73 percent.
- Smoke alarms and sprinkler systems combined can reduce fire-related deaths by 82 percent and injuries by 46 percent.
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