"Reproduced from NFPA's Fire Prevention Week Web site, www.firepreventionweek.org . ©2009 NFPA."

Fire Prevention Week October 4-10, 2009

Since 1922, the second week of October has been designated as Fire Prevention Week. This week coincides with the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire (October 8-9, 1871) and is intended to teach people about fire prevention and safety. At Duke, we have a number of activities planned for the week, and additional activities planned for the month. We hope you'll join us for some of these events to learn about fire safety practices that you can use both at work and at home.
This year's theme is "Prevent Home Fires!” A fire can rapidly spread through your home in less than 2 minutes, by taking preventative measures to prevent a fire could prevent you from becoming destitute or losing your life.
Did you know*:

In 2007, there were 1,557,500 fires reported in the United States (down 5% from 2006). These fires caused 3,430 civilian deaths, 17,675 civilian injuries, and $14.6 billion in property damage.
Check all electrical appliances, cords, and outlets for frays and damaged cords. Drop cords should not be used in place for appliances intended for permanent wiring. Do not overload electrical systems with holiday lights. Use only UL listed lights for decoration.
Watch where you place portable heaters. Make sure combustible materials are at least three feet away from a heating source.
When you cook, stay in the kitchen and do not leave a stove unattended.
Have your chimney inspected prior to use each year.
Use smoking materials outside of the home and discard them properly.
Never let your child play with matches and lighters.
Use candles safely. Do not leave them unsupervised or unattended.
Keep fire extinguishers handy and functional.
Plan escape routes for all emergencies.
Teach children about fire safety.
Practice fire drills at home.
Make sure all of your smoke detectors are in working order. Change the batteries every year and be sure everyone in the house is familiar with the sound and what to do when it is heard.

By taking precautionary measures to prevent a fire in the home is the best step you can take as a homeowner. In addition to preventing a fire in your home, it is utterly important that you have a sound escape plan in place if an emergency does arise! But if you don't practice it or are not familiar with the details, the plan will not do you much good in an emergency. For more information on home escape planning, visit the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Web site. For information on your workplace site-specific fire plans at Duke, visit the OESO Fire Safety Web site.
The Occupational and Environmental Safety Office (OESO) Fire Safety Division has a number of Duke and community activities planned during October to promote the fire prevention message. We'll be revising program details and adding more to this site as we include more activities, so be sure to check back.

Fire Facts

In 2007, U.S. fire departments responded to 399,000 home fires. These fires killed almost 2,900 people. Eighty-four percent of all fire deaths resulted from home fires.
Someone was injured in a home fire every 39 minutes and roughly eight people died in home fires every day during 2007.
A fire department responded to a home fire every 79 seconds.
Sixty-three percent of reported home fire deaths happened in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
About 1/3 of home fires and deaths happened in the months of December, January and February.
Cooking continued to be the leading cause of home fires and injuries followed by heating, electrical and intentional fires.
Smoking materials caused one of every four home fire deaths.
The kitchen is the leading area of origin for home fires. However, bedrooms and living/family rooms are the leading areas of origin for home fire deaths.

Burns

Burn injuries result in hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits a year. Thermal burns outnumber scalds nearly two-to-one.

Cooking

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, accounting for 40% of reported home fires and 36% of related injuries.
Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires.
U.S. fire departments responded to 146,400 home structure fires involving cooking equipment in 2005. These fires caused 480 civilian fire deaths, 4,690 civilian fire injuries and $876 million in direct property damage.
Twelve percent of the fires occurred when something that could catch fire was too close to the equipment.

Smoking

Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths (roughly one in four) in the United States.
There were 142,900 smoking-material fires in the United States in 2006, causing 780 civilian deaths and 1,600 civilian injuries.
Older adults are at the highest risk of death or injury from smoking-material fires even though they are less likely to smoke than younger adults.
The most common items first ignited in home smoking-material fire deaths were upholstered furniture and mattresses or bedding.
One out of four victims of fatal smoking-related fires is not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire.

Heating

In 2006, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 64,100 reported home structure fires, 540 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian injuries, and $943 million in direct property damage.
In 2006 heating equipment fires accounted for 16% of all reported home fires (second behind cooking) and 21% of home fire deaths.
More than half of all heating related fire deaths in 2003-2006 resulted from fires in December, January, and February.
Space heaters result in far more fires and losses than central heating devices and have higher risks relative to usage.
Fixed or portable space heaters were involved in 4% of the home fires and 17% of the home fire deaths.
Most of the space heater fires were caused by the space heater being too close to things that could burn.

Electrical

Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 25,100 reported home structure fires in 2006. These fires caused 370 deaths.
Lamps, light fixtures and light bulbs accounted for 5,5000 home structure fires per year.
Wiring switches or outlets caused more than 10,000 home fire structures per year. Cord or plugs accounted for 2,600. Cords and plugs accounted for 1% of the home fires and 5% of home fire deaths.

Intentional Fires

In 2003-2006 17,900 intentionally set home structures fires were reported each year, resulting in 320 deaths and $542 million in property loss.
Roughly half of the people arrested for arson are under age 18.

Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms play a vital role in reducing deaths and injuries from fire and have contributed to the almost 50% decrease in fire deaths since the late 1970s. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms save lives and protect against injury and loss due to fire.
A 2004 U.S. telephone survey found that 96% of U.S. households had at least one smoke alarm, yet in 2003-2006, no smoke alarms sounded in only half of the reported home fires.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of reported home fire deaths in 2003-2006 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Two-thirds of the fire deaths occurred in homes with no working smoke alarms.
In one out of every five homes equipped with at least one smoke alarm installed, not a single one was working.
When smoke alarms fail it is most often because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Nuisance activations were the leading cause of disabled smoke alarms.

Home Escape Planning

According to an NFPA survey, only one in four Americans have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan (PDF, 632 KB) to ensure they could escape quickly and safely.
While 66% of Americans have an escape plan in case of a fire, only 35% of those have practiced it.
One-third of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life-threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!
Eighteen to 24-year-olds are the least likely to have even developed an escape plan.