Up to 25,000 people die every year in domestic fires across Europe. Each year, approximately 70,000 people are hospitalized due to injuries caused by fire and smoke, and fire damage burns up about 1 percent of Europe’s GDP.
Here in the United States, a fire department responds to a report of a fire every 25 seconds. In 2013, there were:
- 1,240,000 fires responded to by public fire departments, a decrease of 9.8 percent from the year before.
- 3,240 civilian deaths, an increase of 13.5 percent since 2012.
- 15,925 injuries as a result of fire, a decrease of 3.5 percent.
The top causes of fires in U.S. homes are:
Candles – The top three days for home candle fires are Christmas, New Year's Day and Christmas Eve.
Cooking – Includes general cooking safety info, as well as tips for microwaves, cooking oil and turkey fryers.
Electrical – Overloaded outlets, outlets that aren’t grounded, old wiring… provide greater safety in the home with the use of circuit interrupters.
Heating – The peak months for home heating fires are December, January and February.
Smoking – Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States.
Dryers and washing machines – The leading cause of home clothes dryer and washer fires is failure to clean them.
Medical oxygen – Portable medical oxygen in the home has grown over the past decade.
Portable generators – The most-common dangers with portable generators are carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, electrical shock, and fire hazards.
Scalds – Scald burns can be caused by any hot liquid, fluid, or vapor, including hot tap water, overheated beverages, steam and hot oil.
Portable fireplaces – The fuel, device and open flame from these products can be dangerous.
This infographic from Balcombes Claims Management outlines some simple ways to keep your home safe.
