- Author
- Ahrens, M.
- Title
- Home Candle Fires.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Keywords
- candles | home fires | fire statistics | injuries | death | damage | heat sources | standards
- Identifiers
- fire causes; home candle fires have finally started to fall; how candle fire statistics are obtained; detailed patterns of home candle fires; who are the victims of home candle fires?; when do candle fires occur?; candel fires by occupancy; candles used for light; CPSC's Candle Fire Pilot Study, NEISS candle data and recalls; Massachusetts candle study sought more detailed information; ASTM's candle-related standards; CPSC voted to defer action on petition for mandatory safety standards; other countries are also concerned about candle safety; increasing candle safety; statistical tables; how national estimates are calculated; candle fires previously published in NFPA Journal's "Fire Watch" Series; candle fire summaries previously published in NFPA's catastrophic fire studies
- Abstract
- Based on data from the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA's) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA's) annual fire department experience survey, NFPA estimates that candles were the heat source in an estimated average of 20,900 reported home structure fires per year in 2000-2004. (Homes include one- and two-family dwellings, apartments or other multiple family dwellings, and manufactured housing.) These fires caused an estimated average of 200 civilian deaths, 1,790 civilian injuries and $459 million in direct property damage per year. The number of candle fires rose steadily from 1990 to 2001 but have fallen since then. However, the 2004 figure was still 2.5 times more than in 1990. Roughly two-fifths (38%) of these fires started in the bedroom. More than half (54%) of these fires occurred because the candle was too close to something that could burn. Candles used for light appear to pose a greater risk of fatal fire. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has deferred action on a petition from the National Association of State Fire Marshals for mandatory standards for candles and candle accessories to allow more time for ASTM to develop voluntary standards and the effectiveness of the standards to be evaluated.