Home fires
Half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Only one in five home fires were reported during these hours.
One-quarter of home fire deaths were caused by fires that started in the bedroom. Another quarter resulted from fires in the living room, family room or den.
Three out of five home fire deaths happen from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Cooking equipment is the leading cause of home fire injuries, followed by heating equipment.
Smoking materials are the leading cause of home fire deaths.
From 2009-2013, roughly one of every 335 households had a reported home fire per year.
Smoke alarms
Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.
In fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, hardwired alarms operated 94 per cent of the time, while battery powered alarms operated 80 per cent of the time.
When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead.
An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, or where extra time is needed to awaken or assist others, both types of smoke alarms are recommended.
Heating
The leading factor contributing to heating equipment fires was failure to clean. This usually involved creosote build-up in chimneys.
Portable or fixed space heaters, including wood stoves, were involved in one-third (33 per cent) of home heating fires and four out of five (81 per cent) home heating deaths.
Just over half of home heating fire deaths resulted from fires caused by heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding. In most years, heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires, fire deaths and fire injuries.
Cooking
Unattended cooking was a factor in one-third of reported home cooking fires.
Two-thirds of home cooking fires started with ignition of food or other cooking materials.
Ranges accounted for three of every five (61 per cent) home cooking fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 13 per cent.
Children under five face a higher risk of nonfire burns associated with cooking and hot food and drinks than of being hurt in a cooking fire.
Clothing was the item first ignited in less than one per cent of home cooking fires, but these incidents accounted for 18 per cent of the cooking fire deaths.
More than half of people injured in home fires involving cooking equipment were hurt while attempting to fight the fire themselves.
Frying is the leading activity associated with cooking fires.
Smoking materials
Most deaths in home smoking-material fires were caused by fires that started in bedrooms (40 per cent) or living rooms, family rooms or dens (35 per cent).
Sleep was a factor in roughly one-third of the home smoking material fire deaths.
Possible alcohol impairment was a factor in one in five (19 per cent) of home smoking fire deaths.
One out of four fatal victims of smoking-material fires is not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire.
Candles * During 2009-2013, candles caused three per cent of home fires, three per cent of home fire deaths, six per cent of home fire injuries and five per cent of direct property damage from home fires.
Information provided by Delta Fire Emergency Services.
