Facts About Home Fires You Need to Know

In the event of a home fire, most people assume they will quickly spot the flames, grab their family and make a quick exit. Unfor­tu­nately, this is not a typical scenario. One half of home fire deaths occur at night between 11 PM and 7 AM. Here we will discuss facts about home fires you may not know.

Home Fire Statistics

It is true that the vast majority of home fires are caused by mishaps in the kitchen. Did you also know that one quarter of all home fire deaths are the result of fires that originate in the bedroom? Another 25 percent of fires start in the family room, living room or den. Others tend to believe that fires are predom­i­nantly a problem faced by businesses that use dangerous machinery. In reality, about $7.0 billion worth of damage is caused to homes as a result of fires each year. In 2013, these fires resulted in 12,200 injuries and a shocking 2,755 deaths. In that same year, eight people died per day on average as a result of home fires. The top cause of home fire deaths is the misuse of smoking materials.

Home Smoke Alarm Statistics

Are you a homeowner without smoke alarms? The majority (3 out of 5) of home fire deaths stem from fires in homes that lack smoke alarms or a functional smoke alarm. If you have a smoke alarm that is older than a decade, please look into replacing this device. A functional smoke alarm will cut the risk of a fatality by 50 percent.

Bates Security offers a helpful Fire and Life Safety Services that provides an extra layer of security for your home. Our monitored smoke detectors transmit any sign of a fire to our central monitoring station around the clock, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If there is any indication of a fire, our specialists will alert the fire department immedi­ately to put the fire out. This service is much more reliable than battery powered smoke alarms that operate only 79 percent of the time. Your family deserves compre­hensive fire protection. Do not put them at risk by hoping and praying that those cheap battery operated alarms function in your time of need.

Escape Planning Facts Worth Knowing

According to the NFPA, merely 33% of Americans have both formu­lated and practiced a fire escape plan. However, there is some hope. Nearly 75% of Americans have developed an escape plan in the event of a home fire. Yet over 50% of them have not practiced the plan. Only 8% of survey respon­dents reported that their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to make an exit. Far too many people would attempt to grab their valuables or take another course of action instead of immedi­ately exiting the home. Another inter­esting statistic to take note of is the fact that 32% of those surveyed believe they have a minimum of 6 minutes before a home fire becomes life threat­ening. The actual time available to exit the home is often­times signif­i­cantly less than 6 minutes.

What to do Next

Print out these statistics and share them with your family and friends. Do not hesitate to reach out to Bates Security for more infor­mation about our Fire and Life Safety service. Our monitored smoke alarms really can make the difference between life and death.