- Author
- U.S. Fire Administration | National Fire Data Center
- Title
- Residential Fires and Older Adult Casualties.
- Coporate
- U.S. Fire Administration, Washington, DC National Fire Data Center, Washington, DC
- Journal
- Topical Fire Research Series, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1-4, June 2005
- Keywords
- fire statistics | fire data | residential buildings | building fires | adults | elderly persons
- Identifiers
- causes of residential fires with older adult casualties; activity at time of residential older adult casualties (2002); monthly incidence of residential fires with older adult casualties (2002); residential adult fire casualties (2002
- Abstract
- Findings: **In 2002, an estimated 2,320 older adults were injured or killed in residential fires. **Smoking was the leading cause of residential structure fires (25%) that resulted in older adult fatalities. **Upholstered furniture and bedding were the primary items ignited in smoking fires with older adult fatalities. **Cooking was the leading cause of fires resulting in older adult fire injuries. **Thirty-nine percent of older adults killed in residential structure fires were asleep when the fire started; 32% of older adults were trying to escape when they died. An estimated 720 adults aged 65 or older were killed in residential fires in 2002.These deaths accounted for nearly 27% of all residential fire deaths that year. An additional 1,600 older adults were injured in residential fi res- 11% of residential fire injuries in 2002. Coupled with an increasing older population, these statistics indicate a problem of growing concern to the fi re service.