Fire is the ultimate in destructive forces and the sheer amount of damages and fear it can create is amaz-ing. The main consequences of fire are:
Death - this is a very real risk. Fire, and its consequences which are toxic gases and smoke, are extremely dangerous for human being. Every year more than 3.000 people are killed by fire in USA and about 4000* in Europe!
Injury - about 10% of all personal injuries reported each year are caused by fire. in Europe 190 people are hospitalized every day with serious fire injuries*.
Building damage - can be very significant, particularly if the building materials have poor fire resistance and there is little or no built-in fire protection. In Europe 126 billion €, or 1% of European GDP*, burned in fire costs yearly. In USA, the situation is even worse, resulting in damages and losses of $329 billion**, or 2.1 percent of the US gross domestic product!
Loss of business and jobs - it is estimated that about 40% of businesses do not start up again after a significant fire. Many small companies often cannot afford the time and expense of setting up again their activities.
Environmental damage - the fire and/or fighting the fire - fire-fighting water, the products of combustion can contaminate significant areas around the fire site.
*FSEU – year 2020 and NFPA year 2017