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House Fires Responsible for Thousands of Fatalities Every Year
Home fires are responsible for more than 90 percent of fire fatalities in this country. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there were more than 1.3 million house fires in this country in 2011. More than 3,000 people were killed in those fires, and another 17,000 were injured. In addition to the loss of life, these fires caused a total of 1.7 billion dollars in damages.
The most common causes of house fires include:
- Cooking equipment;
- Heating equipment;
- Arson;
- Electrical wiring or equipment;
- Smoking materials;
- Clothes washer or dryer; and
- Candles.
More than 40 percent of home fires start in the kitchen. Sixteen percent of fire fatalities are a result of kitchen fires. Less than 10 percent of home fires begin in the bedroom, yet these fires result in 25 percent of fire fatalities. Living room fires are responsible for another 25 percent of fire deaths, however, only four percent of home fires begin here.
Statistically, there are more residential fires, and fatalities, during the cooler months. The majority of home fires occur during the hours of 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., yet more than half of home fire fatalities result from fires which take place between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Injuries from house fires include burns and/or respiratory injuries. Burn injuries can range from first degree to fourth degree burns, with the higher the degree of burn, the more significant the damage. Along with the damage to the skin caused by the burn, there is also a higher risk of infection, which often leads to the necessity of amputation of damaged limbs. Respiratory injuries include smoke inhalation and inhalation of dangerous gases or toxins.
The brain can also sustain burn injuries in a fire, referred to as cerebral hypoxia. This occurs when oxygen is cut off to the brain, resulting in the death of brain cells. During a fire, the flames consume the majority of available oxygen, leaving little or none for the victims.
If you have lost a loved one in a fire due to the negligence of someone else, contact an experienced Milwaukee wrongful death attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have for your family’s pain and loss. Call the law firm of Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP at 414-271-1440 today to setup your consultation.
Sources:
https://usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/
https://google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwjXuMDPp97JAhXJ4D4KHU9DClMQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnfpa.org%2F~%2Fmedia%2FFiles%2FResearch%2FFact%2520sheets%2Fhomesfactsheet.pdf&usg=AFQjCNH6f8gUAjNHGBSw6RJPJxzWe17n_Q&sig2=78F_w0IJ_AsMO9ZRfkHC_A&cad=rja
https://nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001435.htm
