Fire Safety Stressed As Fatalities Increase

A substantial jump in the number of house fires with fatalities nationwide this month has fire chiefs across the country reaching out to the public to emphasize the importance of fire safety.

"We have lost too many people in home fires in the last two weeks," said President Chief Jim Harmes, president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. "Six people were recently killed in a house fire in Louisiana, two in house fires in Tennessee and one in my own community in Grand Blanc, Michigan. We have got to do something."

"People now have more protection available for their homes than ever before and yet they are losing their lives because they are not taking this protection seriously," he continued.

A quick check of media reports for the first 16 days of February reveals 59 house-fire fatalities across the country. Thirty fatalities were single or double fatalities, and 29 deaths resulted from just six house fires and were counted as multiple fatalities (three or more individuals).

"These are not just numbers; these are personal tragedies that each of us as a fire chief feels every time a life is lost," said Harmes.

Harmes offered the following life-saving suggestions:

- Check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to be sure they are working properly.

- Have an escape plan with a meeting place.

- Once you exit your home, do not return. Too many people lose their lives going back into a burning home.

- Stoves are not made for heating homes.

- Supplemental heating devices should be used and maintained in accordance with manufacturer recommendations. Keep combustibles clear. Do not leave supplemental heating devices unattended.

- If you are burning wood in your fireplace, make sure your chimneys are properly maintained. That also goes for your furnace.

- If candles are necessary, use them in a safe environment in a fireproof container and away from children. Do not leave them unattended.

- And, for the long term, consider getting a residential fire sprinkler. According to statistics, the risk of death by fire is reduced by 82 percent when smoke detectors are accompanied with residential fire sprinklers.