Watch: An Alarmingly Simple Way to Avoid Becoming a Fire Victim
Smoke alarms ... they are a pet peeve item on Erika Leader-Young's fire safety checklist. She is tired of witnessing tragedy in home fires because victims were not alerted by smoke alarms.
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Fire Facts
Courtesy of Erika Leader-Young, New Lenox Fire Protection District, the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
1. A candle fire is reported to a U.S. fire department ever 40 minutes.
2. In 2009, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 58,900-reported U.S. home structure fires, with associated losses of 480 civilian deaths, 1,520 civilian injuries and $1.1 billion in property damage.
3. The top cause of fires in the home is cooking equipment, accounting for an estimated 147,400 (40 percent) of residential fires each year between 2008 and 2010.
4. Six people die every day in home fires.
5. More than 1,000 senior citizens die in fires every year.
READ MORE: Expert Advice: Follow These Fire Safety Tips
Darnell
9:09 am on Saturday, December 29, 2012
Like everything else they want to ban, just ban open flames in homes! If we only save 1 life it will be worth it!
Bob Laird
11:15 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012
white castles now has to have a warning on the box. "may cause excessive methane gas, do not use near open flame" here's your sign.
Erika Leader
8:54 am on Monday, December 31, 2012
No one is saying to ban anything in this article or the PSA. Just to use common sense.
Darnell
12:33 pm on Monday, December 31, 2012
I was just being facetious as it seems in today's society any type of incident that may have a negative outcome including a tragic one, is followed by one group or another who rushes to pass feel good laws and bans. This seems to be replacing your call, which I totally agree with to use common sense. Along with I feel is, personal responsibility. That AND common sense, definitely are 2 traits that are on the severely endangered / nearly extinct list!