Each year, over 3,000 people die and 16,000 are injured by fires that start in the home. Tragically, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities are those most likely to become victims of serious burns.
Children are particularly vulnerable.
Each year, about 800 children under the age of 15 die of fire-related causes and about 500 of these deaths are to children under the age of 5 years. In fact, children under age 5 have a death rate from fire more than twice the national average. All Americans can make their homes safer by making sure they have a working smoke alarm. About 90 percent of U.S. households have smoke alarms. Those families who have not yet done so should place a smoke alarm inside each sleeping room and on each level of a multi-story home and make sure the alarms are tested monthly and the batteries are replaced when necessary.