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Fire Risk to ChildrenThis edition of the Topical Fire Report Series focuses on fire risk to children. The findings from this report are: "1) The relative risk of children under age 15 dying in a fire is about the same as the general population. However, when dividing the young into subgroups, over 50% of all child fire deaths occur to those under age 5. These children are usually unable to escape from a fire independently.2) The number of fire injuries are also highest in the under age 5 bracket, decline in the middle years, but rise again in the 10--14 age group. This is a different pattern than deaths, which decrease as children age. 3) Boys are at higher risk of death from fire than girls. African American and American Indian children are at an increased risk of death from fire. 4) Children in the poorest homes face the greatest risk of death.5) Children playing is the leading cause of child fire injuries; suspicious (arson) activity is the leading cause of child deaths. One−third of arson fires are attributed to children under age 15. 6) Fire deaths and injuries have declined over the past decade--both to children and the general population. A major reason for the decline is the greater prevalence of smoke alarms. The mandatory 1994 safety standard that required disposable lighters to be child resistant has prevented thousands of fires in which children would have been at risk."United States Fire Administration2004-12
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Residential Fires and Child CasualtiesThis edition of the Topical Fire Report Series focuses on child casualties in residential fires. The findings from this report are: "1) In 2002, an estimated 2,490 children age 14 or younger were injured or killed in residential fires. Fifty-six percent of child fire casualty deaths were under the age of 5. 2) Fires and burns were the third leading cause of unintentional fatal injuries to children age 14 or younger in 2002. They were the third leading cause of unintentional injuries to infants and the 12th overall cause of unintentional injuries to children age 14 or younger, accounting for 121,000 injuries in 2002. 3) Arson, open flame, and heating were the leading causes of fires resulting in child fire deaths in 2002. Open flame, arson, and cooking were the leading causes of fires resulting in child fire injuries. Child playing fires were not a significant cause of either deaths or injuries among children in 2002. 4) Upholstered furniture, cooking materials, bedding, and mattresses were the primary materials first ignited in fires that resulted in child casualties."United States Fire Administration2005-04
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Fire in the United States 1995-2004: Fourteenth Edition"The National Fire Data Center (NFDC) of the U S Fire Administration (USFA) periodically publishes Fire in the United States--a statistical overview of the fires in the United States with the focus on the latest year in which data were available at the time of preparation. This report is designed to arm the fire service and others with information that motivates corrective action, sets priorities, targets specific fire programs, serves as a model for State and local analyses of fire data, and provides a baseline for evaluating programs. This 14th edition covers the 10-year period 1995 to 2004 with a primary focus on 2004. For the first time, only native National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) 5.0 data are used for NFIRS-based analyses. The report addresses the overall national fire problem Detailed analyses of the residential and non-residential fire problem, firefighter casualties, and other subsets of the national fire problem are not included. These topic-specific analyses will be addressed as separate, stand-alone publications. The primary source of data is from NFIRS National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) annual survey results, mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), data from State Fire Marshals' offices or their equivalents, population data from the U S Census Bureau, and inflation adjustments from the Bureau of Labor Statistic's Consumer Price Index also are used. Because of the time it takes for States to submit data to USFA from the thousands of fire departments that participate in NFIRS, then edit and obtain corrections, and analyze and display the results, the publication lags behind the date of data collection."United States Fire Administration2007-08
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Fire in the United States 1986-1995: Tenth Edition"This report is designed to arm the fire service and others with a statistical overview of the fire problem that can motivate corrective action. It can also be used to select priorities and help target fire programs, serve as a model for state or local analyses of fire data, and provide a baseline for evaluating programs. This Tenth Edition of Fire in the United States covers the l0-year period from 1986 to 1995, with emphasis on 1995-the most recent year for which complete data are available at the time of preparation. The primary source of data in his report is the National Fire Incident Reporting System (N FIRS), but National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) annual survey results and data from the various state agencies responsible for state fire information are also used. Because of the time it takes to collect data from the more than 13,000 fire departments that participate in NFIRS, edit and obtain correction s, and analyze and display the results, the date of publication lags the date of collection. This edition of Fire in the United States includes a state-by-state analysis and presentation of state-based residential fire statistics. This information is more exhaustive than similar information presented in the past-each state has provided additional information on innovative and successful programs that have positively affected the state's individual fire problem. And, where available, the associated Web site address for the state fire agency has been provided. Previous editions of Fire in the United States have included two chapters t hat detail the residential and nonresidential structure fire problem. Due to the size of the state chapter; these two chapters have been omitted from t his edit ion. The Eleventh Edit ion of Fire in the United States will again address these two key areas of the U.S. fire problem."United States Fire Administration1998-08
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Firefighter Injuries"Firefighting is an extremely dangerous profession. The firefighter's mission is to protect life and property. Each year, thousands of firefighters are injured in the perfor¬mance of their duties. This paper examines the trends and factor related to firefighter injuries. The 1999 data are from the annual survey by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); the 1998 data are from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). (1998 is the most recent year in which NFIRS data are available.) In 1999, firefighters suffered 88,500 injuries while on duty. Sixty-six percent of these injuries occurred while firefighters performed duties on emergency scenes (fire-ground and non - fire emergency). An additional 7% of injuries occurred while respond¬ing to or returning from emergency scenes. In 1999, 45,500 firefighters were injured on the firegrounds and 13,565 at non-fire-related emergency scenes (Figure 1). Injuries to firefighters on the fireground in 1998 were double those of civilian injuries."United States Fire Administration2002-03
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Fire in the United States 1987-1996: Eleventh Edition"Each year, the National Fire Data Center of the U.S. Fire Administration publishes a 10-year statistical overview of the fires in the United States, with focus on the latest year in which data were available at the time of preparation. This report is designed to arm the fire service and others with information that motivates corrective action, sets priorities, targets specific fire programs, serves as a model for state or local analyses of fire data, and provides a baseline for evaluating programs. This Eleventh Edition of Fire in the Unites States covers the 10-year period from 1987 to 1996, with emphasis on 1996. The primary source of data is from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), but National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) annual survey results, mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics, and data from the state fire marshals are also used. Because of the time it takes to collect data from nearly 13,000 fire departments that participate in NFIRS, edit and obtain corrections, and analyze and display the results, the publication lags the date of data collection. Each edition of this report describes the overall national fire problem and casualties to firefighters. Biannually, the reports address either a state-by-state examination of fire or, alternatively, the problem of fire in residential and non-residential structures--the subject of this Eleventh Edition. And each year, an assessment of several specific special topics is performed; this year, these topics include multiple-fatality fires, urban area fires, and the relationship of alcohol consumption to fire deaths."United States Fire Administration1999-08
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Daycare Center Fires"In 1997, 77% of preschool children with employed mothers were cared for in child-care centers, in family childcare located in providers' homes, by relatives, or by nannies for a least some period of time during the week. Each year between 1996 and 1998, approximately 325 fires were reported in structures classified as daycare centers. These fires rarely injure or kill anyone-less than 10 injuries or fatalities each year-but they cause an average of $1.6 million in property loss. This report examines the causes and characteristics of daycare center fires. This analysis addresses only those fires that are reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and that occur in structures classified specifically as daycare centers. Currently it is not possible to determine from NFIRS data the frequency of fires in residential structures where someone is providing daycare services (licensed or unlicensed). Instead, information on these types of daycare centers and fires in them must be gleaned from other sources, such as the media."United States Fire Administration2002-03
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Rail Terminal Fires"Nearly 1.5 million freight and passenger rail cars/locomotives are in operation in the United States. They operate on thousands of miles of rails in stations and depots throughout the country. For the purposes of this report, the term rail terminals refers to street-level terminals, underground rail terminals, elevated rail terminals, and the cars/locomotives themselves as coded in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Between 1996 and 1998, there were an estimated 300 fires in rail terminals each year. These fires are responsible for less than 10 civilian injures and approximately $300,000 in fire loss annually. Though not particularly common (less than one such fire per day), rail terminal fires generally receive a great deal of media attention as they often cause traffic delays and inconvenience. It should be noted that the low number of fires reported to NFIRS may be more a result of the profile of fire departments reporting to NFIRS than an indicator of the frequency of rail terminal fires. This topical report examines the causes and nature of fires that occur on rail terminal properties, including structure fires, refuse fires, and fires involving vehicles."United States Fire Administration2002-02
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Construction Site Fires"Each year between 1996 and 1998, an estimated 4,800 fires were reported at construction sites or complexes. These fires are responsible for approximately 30 injuries, 10 fatalities, and $35.2 million in property loss. This report addresses the causes and characteristics of these fires."United States Fire Administration2002-03
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Agricultural Fires"Between 1996 and 1998, there were an estimated 20,000 fires each year on U.S. agricultural properties. These fires include those in and around facilities that produce raw agricultural products or on farms. Agricultural fires are responsible for nearly 50 civilian injuries, 25 fatalities, and $102 million in property loss each year."United States Fire Administration2002-03
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Agricultural Storage Fires"Nearly 11,500 fires in agricultural storage facilities-barns, stables, silos, grain elevators-are reported each year. These fires cause an average of 100 injuries, 10 fatalities, and $249.7 million in property loss. Silo fires are particularly difficult for firefighters and have proved deadly in the past. Agricultural storage fires are less deadly than other fires, but they cause five times more damage (Figure 1). This may be due to the loss of revenue that results from the destruction of agricultural goods in combination with structural damage to the storage facility itself."United States Fire Administration2001-12
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Profile of the Urban Fire Problem in the United States"This report characterizes the nature of the fire problem in urban areas of the United States. Urbanized areas have large populations, and they typically have higher densities of people and buildings than rural areas. Publications are available that characterize the overall U.S. fire problem and the fire problem in rural areas, but there has not been a recent profile of fire in urban areas. This report addresses that need."United States Fire AdministrationTriData Corporation1999-05
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Profile of the Rural Fire Problem in the United States"While there are many similarities between fires in rural and non-rural areas, there are also many differences. Some of the differences, such as the higher incidence of heating fires in rural areas, point to issues that need to be considered when designing public education programs to reduce the number of fires and the deaths, injuries, and property loss associated with rural fires. For the purposes of this report, 'rural' is defined as all counties that have populations of fewer than 20,000 persons and that are generally not adjacent to metropolitan areas. […] This report is based on two different data sets: data on fire incidents from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Six years of mortality data (1983- 1988) and three years of NFIRS data (1993-1995) serve as the basis for the findings in this report. […] There are some fundamental differences in the nature of the rural fire problem compared to non-rural differences. Among these differences are the causes of rural fires and the characteristics of residential structure fires, including how they start, where they originate, and how often smoke alarms are present and in operational condition."United States Fire Administration1998-08
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School Fires [2007]"Using the past 3 years of data, for 2003 to 2005, from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) database, the yearly national fire loss for fires on nonadult school properties is estimated at $85 million. Such losses are the result of an estimated annual average of 14,700 fires that required a fire department response. Fires on school properties caused an average of approximately 100 injuries. No fatalities were reported to NFIRS during this period. Forty percent of these school-related fires occurred outdoors on school property. Trash fires accounted for 36% of these out-side fires, and fires in open fields or woods accounted for an additional 19%. Forty-three percent of fires on school properties, an estimated 6,300 fires, were structure fires. Slightly over half of these structure fires were confined to the object where the fire started, such as a small cooking fire (20%) or a fire confined to a trash can (28%). Six percent of fires on school properties were vehicle fires."United States Fire Administration2007-08
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School Fires [2004]"There were an estimated 14,300 fires at non�'adult schools in 2002, causing $103.6 million in property damage and 122 injuries Of these, 6,000 (42%) were structure fires. Nearly half of school structure fires were confined to the object where the fire started, such as a small cooking fire (17%) or a fire confined to a trash can (26%). The majority of school fires occurred outdoors on school property and include trash fires (23%), other outdoor fires, including open fields or woods (18%), and vehicle fires (7%). Educational institutions are governed by strict inspection and fire/life safety codes. Most schools built since the late 1970s are required to have sprinkler and other fire/smoke alarm systems. This is a likely explanation why, as shown in Figure 1, no deaths from school structure fires were reported in 2002 and such fires were less damaging than non�'residential fires generally. Fires in schools were, however, more injurious than other non�'residential structure fires."United States Fire Administration2004-12
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Fire Data Analysis Handbook: Second Edition"This handbook describes statistical techniques to turn data into information for answering these types of questions and many others. The techniques range from simple to complex. For example, the next two chapters describe how to develop charts to provide more effective presentations about fire problems. These charts may be beneficial to city or county officials on the activities and needs of your fire department. Chapter 4 discusses measures of central tendency (means, medians, modes) and measures of dispersion (range, variance, standard deviation). In Chapter 5, the chi-square statistic and its use in analyzing table data is presented. In Chapter 6 the Pearson correlation coefficient and some additional correlations are discussed. These are all techniques that can tell you more about the nature of fires and injuries."United States Fire Administration2004-01
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USFA: Firefighter fatalities in the United States"The U. S. Fire Administration tracks and collects information on the causes of on-duty firefighter fatalities that occur in the United States. We conduct an annual analysis to identify specific problems so that we may direct efforts toward finding solutions that will reduce firefighter fatalities in the future. This information is also used to measure the effectiveness of programs directed toward firefighter health and safety."United States Fire Administration
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Fire-Related Firefighter Injuries Reported to NFIRS"Every occupation brings degrees of safety risk. At the fire scene, on the way to or from a fire, or even while training, firefighters face the chance of suffering an injury and possibly death. Each year, tens of thousands of fire-fighters are injured while fighting fires, rescuing people, responding to emergency medical incidents, responding to hazardous material incidents, or training for their job. Between the years of 2006 and 2008, there were an estimated 81,070 firefighter injuries of which 39,715 occurred on the fireground. While the majority of injuries are minor, a significant number are debilitating and career-ending. Such injuries exact a great toll on the fabric of the fire service. From the need to adjust staffing levels and rotations to accommodate injuries, to the focus of the fire service on injury prevention, injuries and their prevention are a primary concern. In addition, the fire service has done much to improve firefighter safety. Firefighter health and safety initiatives, incident command structure, training, and protective gear are but a few areas where time, energy, and resources have been well-spent. Nonetheless, firefighting is, by its very nature, a hazardous profession. Injuries can and do occur. This topical report addresses the details of firefighter injuries sustained at or responding to a fire incident, focusing on data submitted to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) 2006 to 2008. The statistics presented are from the analysis of the 2006 to 2008 NFIRS, version 5.0 data."United States Fire Administration
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Nonresidential Building Fires"According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates for 2006, there were 111,500 nonresidential structure fires. These fires resulted in 85 deaths, 1,425 injuries, and $2.6 billion in direct dollar loss. Although nonresidential structure fires represent only 7 percent of all reported fires and account for just 3 percent of fire deaths and 9 percent of fire injuries, they account for 23 percent of the dollar losses from fire nationwide. Residential fires account for the majority of injuries and deaths and outdoor fires account for the majority of fires. Nonresidential fires, by contrast, tend to be the most costly fires per incident. Analyses of the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data on the nonresidential structure fire problem were formerly published as a chapter in each edition of Fire in the United States. In this report, as in previous editions of Fire in the United States, an attempt has been made to keep the data presentation and analysis as straightforward as possible. It is also the desire of the United States Fire Administration (USFA) to make the report widely accessible to many different users, so it avoids unnecessarily complex methodology. Because it takes over a year to collect data from all participating States and a year to verify the collected data, this analysis, largely undertaken in 2008, used the latest full year of data available at the time, 2006."United States Fire Administration2010-04
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Investigation of Confined Structure Fires"Confined structure fires are small fire incidents that are limited in scope, are confined to noncombustible containers, rarely result in serious injury or large content losses, and are expected to have no accompanying property losses due to flame damage. This topical report is a summary of a detailed analysis of the characteristics of small fires that occur in structures that are contained or confined as recorded in the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA's) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)."United States Fire Administration2006-02
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Non-Residential Structure Fires in 2000"Non−residential structures are ubiquitous in American lives. We work, meet, learn, shop, dine, park cars, and store things in non−residential structures. A fire in a non−residential structure can impact a business, the economy of a city, an entire industry--not to mention the deaths and injuries that can result from such incidents. Based on data taken from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), non−residential structure fires account for only 8% of all fires in the United States, and only one-quarter of all fires that take place in structures; however, they are among the most costly of all fires. There were an estimated 126,000 non−residential structure fires in 2000, resulting in 90 fatalities, 2,200 injuries, and $2.8 billion in property loss."United States Fire Administration2004-06
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Nightclub Fires in 2000"This paper examines the incidence and characteristics of nightclub fires. In February of 2003, a fire in The Station nightclub in the Town of West Warwick, RI killed 100 people. This tragic fire focused national attention on fire safety at nightclubs and other small venues and caused local fire jurisdictions to reevaluate their fire safety regulations. Based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), more than 1,500 nightclub and bar fires caused $46 million in property damage in 2000. These constituted only 0.3% of all structure fires in 2000. Due to the relatively small frequency of nightclub fires the statistical estimates in this report may have considerable margins of error. Additionally, many small fires, such as cooking fires or small fires caused by smoking may be extinguished by nightclub staff and not reported to the local fire department. Although only a small proportion of annual fires, nightclub fires have the potential to cause high fire casualties due to maximum or over−capacity crowds on weekends or during live music performances. In the event of a fire, a full-capacity crowd may have difficulty completely exiting the building, trapping some patrons inside."United States Fire Administration2004-06
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All Structure Fires in 2000"Americans live, work, meet, and play in structures, relying on them for comfort, safety, and convenience. Fires in homes, office buildings, stores, manufacturing plants, and many other structures are the most deadly, injurious, and costly of all fires in the United States. An estimated 505,500 structure fires occurred in 2000, resulting in $8.5 billion in property loss, 3,500 fatalities, and 19,600 injuries. Based on 2000 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), fires in structures account for more than 30% of all fires, but they cause nearly 76% of property loss, approximately 72% of fatalities, and nearly 82% of injuries resulting from fires. Structures include residences (homes, apartment buildings, condominiums, hotels, etc.), assembly buildings, office buildings, schools, businesses, manufacturing facilities, and plants."United States Fire Administration2004-06
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Attic Fires in Residential Buildings"These topical reports are designed to explore facets of the U.S. fire problem as depicted through data collected in the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA's) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Each topical report briefly addresses the nature of the specific fire or fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other resources to consider for further information. Also included are recent examples of fire inci-dents that demonstrate some of the issues addressed in the report or that put the report topic in context." This edition focuses on attic fires in residential buildings. Findings from this report our: "1) An estimated 10,000 residential building attic fires are reported to U.S. fire departments each year and cause an estimated 30 deaths, 125 injuries, and $477 million in property loss. 2) Residential building attic fires are considered part of the residential fire problem and comprise approximately 2 percent of all residential building fires. 3) Almost all residential building attic fires are nonconfined fires (99 percent). 4) One- and two-family residential buildings account for 90 percent of residential attic fires. 5) Electrical malfunction is the leading cause of residential building attic fires (43 percent), followed by natural fires (16 percent). 5) A third of all residential building attic fires spread to involve the entire building. Only 2 percent extend beyond the building to adjacent properties. 7) Residential building attic fires are most prevalent in December (12 percent) and January (11 percent) and peak between the hours of 4 and 8 p.m. 8) Electrical arcing is the most common heat source in residential building attic fires (37 percent)."United States Fire Administration2011-01
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Fire Risk to Children in 2007"These topical reports are designed to explore facets of the U.S. fire problem as depicted through data collected in the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA's) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Each topical report briefly addresses the nature of the specific fire or fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other resources to consider for further information." This edition focuses on children in fires in 2007. Findings from this report our: "1) The relative risk of children under age 15 dying in a fire is lower than the general population. However, when dividing the young into subgroups, 52 percent of all child fire deaths occur to those 4 and younger. 2) When dividing the young into subgroups, fire injuries are highest in the 4 and under age group, decline in the middle years, but rise again in the 10 to 14 age group. This is a different pattern than deaths, which decrease as children age. 3) Boys are at higher risk of death from fire than girls. 4) African-American children are at an increased risk of death from fire."United States Fire Administration2011-02
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Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings"The original goal for USFA [United States Fire Administration] was to help lead a reduction in fire deaths by 50 percent in a generation. With annual fire deaths dropping from over 9,000 to less than 3,500 in that period of time, USFA's goal has been achieved. Nevertheless, fire deaths are still high. Approximately 1,800 fatal residential building fires occurred annually in recent years (2006 to 2008).These fires resulted in an annual average of approximately 2,635 deaths, 725 injuries, and $196 million in property loss. This report is one of a continuing series of topical reports issued by the USFA's National Fire Data Center and addresses the characteristics of fatal residential building fires reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) from 2006 to 2008, the most recent data available at the time of the analysis. Because 79 percent of fire deaths occur in residential buildings, they are the focus of this report. The information in this report about fatal residential fires can be used not only to assess progress but also to understand the nature of the fatal fire problem and its implications for targeting of prevention programs. For the purpose of this report, the terms 'residential fires' and 'fatal residential fires' are synonymous with 'residential building fires' and 'fatal residential building fires,' respectively. 'Fatal residential fires' is used throughout the body of this report; the findings, tables, charts, headings, and footnotes reflect the full category, 'fatal residential building fires.'"United States Fire Administration2010-08
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Establishing a Relationship between Alcohol and Casualties of Fire [1999]"Though the rate has significantly decreased, the United States continued into the late 90's with one of the highest fire death rates in the industrialized world. Given the advancements in fire prevention, including public education, building design, consumer product safety, and sophisticated levels of the fire protection in this country, it is puzzling to many as to why this is so. In an effort to identify the underlying problem(s), researchers have been delving deeper into the extent to which human behavior affects our fire losses. The connection between alcohol and the ignition, detection, and escape from the fire has been broadly examined by numerous medical and fire protection organization studies. A series of landmark studies undertaken by the Johns Hopkins University and the National Bureau of Standards in the 1970's were among the first to discover a definitive link between alcohol consumption and fire deaths. Many studies have now confirmed their general findings. Alcohol intoxication may increase the risk of initiating a fire by impairing one's judgment and coordination. An intoxicated individual who is smoking may also succumb to the depressant effects of alcohol, fall asleep and drop a lit cigarette on upholstery or clothing. Intoxication also acutely diminishes one's ability to detect a fire. Under the sedative effects of alcohol, an alcohol-impaired person may fail to notice the smell of smoke, or fail to hear a smoke alarm. Escape from a fire can be hampered by the loss of motor coordination and mental clarity caused by alcohol, even when warning signs are heeded."United States Fire AdministrationTriData Corporation1999-10
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Establishing a Relationship between Alcohol and Casualties of Fire"This report links alcohol abuse with the risk of unintentional injuries, with specific focus on fire injuries where alcohol may be a contributing factor. Alcohol abuse and resulting unintentional injuries impose a burden on individuals, those around them, and society as a whole. Alcohol abuse is a leading risk factor for unintentional injury and is associated with increased risk of injury in automobile crashes, falls, fires, drowning, homicides, and suicides."United States Fire Administration2003-07
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Case Study: Contribution of Alcohol to Fire Fatalities in Ontario"The Ontario (Canada) Fire Marshal (OFM) investigates all fires involving fatalities and collects and maintains comprehensive records of each, including blood alcohol levels (BALs) of the deceased. The data from these records are input into the Ontario Fire Reporting System (OFRS). From this, quantitative assessments of the magnitude and characteristics of the fire problem are made. This topical report, based on data from the OFRS, investigates the impact of alcohol consumption on fire fatalities in Ontario. The objective is to look at the circumstances and causes of fire fatalities in a way that alerts both the public and public officials about the connection of alcohol abuse to the fire problem overall and to fire fatalities specifically. It should be noted that the legal drinking age in Ontario is 19 years old, 2 years younger than in the United States."United States Fire Administration2003-07
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Case Study: Contribution of Alcohol to Fire Fatalities in Minnesota"Alcohol abuse is a leading risk factor for unintentional injuries. A previous topical report, Establishing a Relationship Between Alcohol and Casualties of Fire (Vol. 3, Issue 3), demonstrated a connection between the involvement of alcohol and fire fatalities. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) collects alcohol use data as part of its ongoing injury surveillance system. Since 1991, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety began recording blood alcohol levels (BALs) for all unintentional injury deaths. The purpose was to learn more about the nature and extent of the alcohol problem as it relates to injuries, including fire deaths. The MDH Report of Injury form includes a variable on alcohol use before the injury. Autopsies are performed on all fire fatalities and BALs are recorded. (The legal limit for intoxication in the State of Minnesota is 0.1 percent BAL.) Quantitative data from the State of Minnesota were used for this topical report to assess the impact of alcohol on fire fatalities. This case study is useful for understanding the scope, magnitude, and circumstances of the relationship between alcohol and unintentional injuries, especially fire fatalities."United States Fire Administration2003-07