USFA and NFPA Join Forces to “Put a Freeze on Winter Fires”

Citing recent fires in Pennsylvania and Florida which claimed the lives of nine children and one adult and which may have been caused by space heaters, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have announced a jointly sponsored special initiative, “Put a Freeze on Winter Fires.” USFA and NFPA want to remind everyone that fire safety and prevention are especially important in the coming months.

According to NFPA statistics, space heaters account for about one third of home heating fires, but they are the primary cause for more than 80 percent of home heating fire deaths.

The “Winter Residential Building Fires” report, released by USFA in February, reports an estimated 108,400 winter residential building fires occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of 945 deaths, 3,825 injuries, and $1.7 billion in property loss. Cooking is the leading cause of winter residential building fires at 36 percent followed by heating at 23 percent, and winter residential building fires occur mainly in the early evening hours, peaking from 5 PM to 8 PM.

USFA and NFPA have compiled a great deal of information about the various causes of fire during the winter months, winter storm fire safety, holiday fire safety, and tips that will help reduce or prevent the incidence of fire in the home on their websites. This information can be found at:

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/winter

http://www.nfpa.org/winter

Background information:

USFA: Winter Residential Building Fires (February 2010)