Contrary to popular belief, the leading cause of death from a fire is not burns. Smoke inhalation deaths totaled 2,236, while burns accounted for only 526. Disaster reports further stated that panic-stricken victims often hyperventilate, breathing in massive amounts of toxic fumes and smoke, which can hasten death. Smoke from home fires, particularly those involving upholstery, contains a cocktail of lethal toxins including benzene, sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen chloride, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide. Another urgency facing those caught in a fire is time.
Seconds become precious from the moment smoke is detected.
Depending on various factors, such as the fire's location and the size of the structure, a person may succumb to smoke inhalation in less than 60 seconds. It is estimated that 94 percent of people die before the firefighters arrive. There are a number of ways to prevent deaths and injuries due to fires in the home. In the 1999 Fire Loss in the United States report in the NFPA Journal, author Michael J. Karter Jr., a senior statistician with NFPA's Fire Analysis and Research Division, said the key to reducing the fire death toll were fire safety initiatives targeted at the home. He said, for example, that more people must use and maintain smoke detectors.