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NEW STATISTICS from the US National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) show encouraging reductions in the number of fire deaths and injuries in 2006 compared to the previous year, even though fire departments responded to more fires.
According to the 2006 National Fire Experience Survey, fire departments attended 1,642,500 fires during the year – an increase of 2.5% from 2005 and the highest such total since 2002. However, there were major reductions in civilian deaths in 2006 – there were 3,245 deaths, 12% less than in 2005 – and in civilian injuries, which fell by 8.5% to 16,400.
Of the 524,000 structure fires in 2006, 79% were in residential premises (particularly one- and two-family dwellings) – 4.2% more than occurred in 2005. Moreover, fires in dwellings accounted for 80% of all civilian deaths. This has prompted NFPA to issue renewed calls for improved fire safety in the home, including better public education and ‘more aggressive’ moves to promote residential sprinklers.
The figures also show:
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a 13% decrease in fires in offices and storage premises and an 8% increase in educational properties
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outside fires increased from 2005 – in particular, brush fires rose by 9.5%
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445 civilians died in highway vehicle fires in 2006, a decrease of 12% on 2005
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31,000 structure fires were set deliberately in 2006
The report is available from: http://www.nfpa.org/
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