THIS
IS FIRE!!!
October is
Fire Awareness Month, with
the White House declaring National Fire Prevention Week
being held October 5 to 11. The following information was taken
from fire factsheets prepared by National
Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) and the U.S.
Fire Administration Office of Fire Management Programs.
Please note that although most fires occur at home, this information,
plus the tips to survive a fire, also applies in the workplace.
Every day
Americans experience the horror of fire. But most people don't
understand fire. Only when we know the true nature of fire can
we prepare ourselves and our families. Each year more than 4,000
Americans die and more than 25,000 are injured in fires, many
of which could be prevented.
The United
States Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and NFPA
believe that fire deaths can be reduced by teaching people
the basic facts about fire. Below are some simple facts that
explain the particular characteristics of fire.
Fire
is DEADLY as well as CO$TLY!
In
1998, children playing with fire started 67,490 fires that
were reported to US fire departments, causing an estimated
232 civilian deaths, 1,805 civilian injuries, and $234.7 million
in direct property damage.
Smoke
and toxic gases kill more people than flames do.
- Fire
uses up the oxygen you need and produces smoke and poisonous
gases that kill.
- Breathing
even small amounts of smoke and toxic gases can make you
drowsy, disoriented and short of breath.
- The
odorless, colorless fumes can lull you into a deep sleep
before the flames reach your door.
- You
may not wake up in time to escape.
Fire
is FAST
There is little time! In less than 30 seconds a small flame
can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire.
- It
only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house.
- In
minutes, a house can be engulfed in flames.
- Most
fires occur in the home when people are asleep.
- If
you wake up to a fire, you won't have time to grab valuables
because fire spreads too quickly and the smoke is too thick.
- There
is only time to escape.
Two
of every three home heating fires in the U.S. in 1998, and
three of every four related deaths, were attributed to space
heating equipment.
Fire
is HOT!
Heat
is more threatening than flames. A fire's heat alone can kill.
- Room
temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level.
- It
can rise to 600 degrees at eye level.
- Inhaling
this super hot air will scorch your lungs.
- This
heat can melt clothes to your skin.
- In
five minutes a room can get so hot that everything in it
ignites at once: an event called flashover.
Fire
is DARK!
Fire
isn't bright, it's pitch black.
- Fire
starts bright, but quickly produces black smoke and complete
darkness.
- If
you wake up to a fire you may be blinded, disoriented and
unable to find your way around the home you've lived in
for years.
26 percent of Americans said they
have never thought about practicing an escape plan and 3
percent said practice wasn't necessary.
Fire
Safety Tips
70-80%
of people killed in home fires did not have working smoke
alarms. A small number of families (25 percent) have actually
developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
Remember,
time is your biggest enemy when in a fire, and every second
counts!
- Escape
first, then call for help.
- Develop
a home fire escape plan and designate a meeting place outside.
- Make
sure everyone in the family knows two ways to escape from
every room.
- Practice
feeling your way out with your eyes closed.
- Never
stand up in a fire, always crawl low under the smoke and
try to keep your mouth covered.
- Never
return to a burning building for any reason; it may cost
you your life.
- Finally,
having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your
chances of surviving a fire.
- And
remember to practice a home escape plan frequently with
your family.
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What
Saves Lives
A
working smoke alarm dramatically increases a person's chance
of surviving a fire. Approximately 88 percent of
U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm. However, these alarms
are not always properly maintained and as a result might not
work in an emergency. There has been a disturbing increase
over the last ten years in the number of fires that occur
in homes with non-functioning alarms. It is estimated
that over 40 percent of residential fires and three-fifths
of residential fatalities occur in homes with no smoke alarms.
Residential sprinklers have become more cost effective for
homes. Currently, few homes are protected by them.
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