Homeowners Insurance - Fire Safety Begins at Home

In October 2007, residential fires burned their way into the nation"s consciousness. In California, wildfires swept across the state, burning half a million acres, destroying more than 2000 homes, and killing 10. On the opposite coast, in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, a fire in a single home killed seven college students from University of South Carolina and Clemson University. The nation grieved. "I know people are hurting when they think about the seven youngsters who had so much hope in their lives and had their life taken during that fire," President Bush said on a visit to South Carolina. "I hope the families and loved ones can take comfort that in this great state and around the nation there"s a lot of people praying for them."

The October fires were a grim reminder that fire remains the deadliest and costliest type of disaster in American. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a nonprofit group that studies fire activity in the United States reports that U.S. fire departments responded to 1,642,500 fires in 2006, an average of one fire every 19 seconds. Of those, 51 percent were outdoor fires, 32 percent involved structures, and 17 percent were automobile fires. 412,500 of the fires occurred in residences. Although only 25 percent of the total number of fires, residential fires accounted for 80 percent of the civilian fire deaths. Of the 3,245 civilian fire deaths in 2006, 2,580 occurred in homes and apartments.

As grim as these statistics are, they nevertheless represent a significant improvement from 2005 and a huge improvement since the late 1970s. Overall, civilian fire deaths decreased 11.7 percent from 2005. Residential fire deaths declined even more: 14.2 percent. Since 1977-1978, when NFPA started its survey, the number of civilian deaths from residential fires has decreased an astonishing 57 percent.

The number of fire injuries also declined in 2006. The 16,400 civilian fire injuries reported in 2006 represented a decrease of 8.5 percent decrease from 2005. As with civilian fire deaths, the vast majority of civilian fire injuries-78.8 percent-occurred in residential fires. NFPA reports that 12,925 civilians were injured in house and apartment fires, a decrease of 6.5 percent from 2005. The group cautions, however, that the estimate of civilian injuries may be lower than the actual number "due to under reporting of civilian injuries to the fire service."

Although the numbers of fatalities and injuries declined in 2006, the actual number of fires increased by 2.5 percent. The damage to property caused by all fires increased 6 percent, to $11.3 billion. Losses due to fire are greater than those from any other disaster, including hurricanes ($5.4 billion), floods ($5.2 billion), and earthquakes ($4.4 billion). Sixty-two percent of those losses-almost $7 billion-were the result of residential fires. Since homes are the largest asset most people have, it is not surprising why fire insurance is the central feature of homeowners insurance.

Several factors have contributed to the decline in fire-related deaths and injuries. Two of the most important innovations, the residential smoke detector and the 9-1-1 emergency phone system, were introduced in 1967, with the first 911 system in operation in 1968. The development of fire-resistant mattresses and upholstery also contributed to the decline, as did the creation of the child-resistant disposable lighter in 1993. One of the biggest changes has been the decline in adult smoking, which has decreased 50 percent since 1965.

To save more lives, the NFPA suggests five more steps be taken: 1) Increase awareness and education about fire safety; 2) Increase the number of smoke detectors in homes; 3) Encourage the use of in-home sprinkler systems; 4) Introduce more fire-resistant products in the home; and 5) Focus efforts on the people most vulnerable to fire, including the very young, the very old, and the poor.

As the Ocean Isle Beach fire showed, however, fire kills regardless of age or income. Everyone needs to be vigilant when it comes to fire safety, especially in the home.