Fire: costs and consequences
Every year, many people die or are seriously injured by fires occurring in buildings.
At the beginning of the 21th century, Earth’s population is 6.300.000.000 inh., with a reported 7,000,000 -8,000,000 fires causing 70,000 – 80,000 deaths and 500,000 – 800,000 injuries. 90% of fire deaths were caused by fires in buildings. (Source: Center of Fires Statistics of CTIF 2006)
Fires have a high cost in loss of Human life. About a third of fires originate inside buildings. In Europe the median fire death rate per 100.000 inhabitants was near 1 in 2003 and 2004, equivalent to 30.000 deaths per year. (Source: Europacable)
70 large industrial fires cost over £275 million in the UK. (Source: UK Government: Fires in the home 2000 BCS)
Property damage due to fire in the US costs over $10 billion in 2001. (Source: P. Battrick, FM Global insurers,1988-1997)
In a recent report, CTIF (International Association of Fire and Rescue Service) estimates that: "the total economic costs of fires amount to around 1% of gross domestic product in most advanced countries".
Opaque smoke and irritant gases are the major causes of death during fire.
- Hot: Smoke and gases propagate ignition as they are hot.
- Opaque: Black and opaque, smoke impede people’s view and hearing and can therefore disorient people during their evacuation.
- Mobile: Smoke spreads the fire to other parts of building.
- Inflammable: Made of carbon and unburned particles, smoke acts as fuel.
- Toxic: Inhaling even small hazardous acid gases can make people drowsy and short of breath, heavily impacting people’s behavior during evacuation operations.
The most identified cause of death from a fire incident is being overcome by gas and smoke, accounting for 44% of all deaths. (Source: British Department for Communities and Local Government 2005)
Every year in Europe, gas and smoke during fires claim 30,000 victims. (Source: CTIF 2003-2004)
The Swedish SRSA (Swedish Rescue Services Agency) in a report on Fire Prevention states that: "In 1950 the average time from ignition of a fire to flashover was 15 minutes. Then, 25 years ago, that time was down to 5 minutes and now fatal conditions can occur after 3 minutes. This change has come about because of the increase of plastics in our homes, nothing else."
Given these facts, reducing smoke and effluent gases is key for saving lives: it helps provide a safer environment for the rescue team and people and more time to evacuate.