Fire Facts
Fire suppression sprinklers can reduce your chances of dying in a fire by one-third to one-half.
A sprinkler system in a new home can cost as little as $2,500. It can also reduce your fire insurance premium by about 15%.
Most residential fires occur between 5 and 8 p.m.
In one evacuation study, over 90% of respondents indicated they would turn back when visibility in a hallway fell short of 12 feet because of smoke.
Less than a third of homes with smoke alarms also have fire extinguishers.
There has never been a reported fire fatality in a building with a properly working sprinkler system.
Arson is the second largest causes of all residential fire deaths, resulting in about 1000 deaths per year.
The U.S. has the highest arson rate in the world.
Home fires are most likely to occur between 5 and 8 p.m.
Half of all electrical fires originate near appliances.
A gallon of gasoline has the explosive potential of 30 sticks of dynamite.
The ignition temperature of paper is 451 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the United States, residential structure fires results in three out of four fire-related deaths.
A third of the children under age six who died in a fire had either been playing with fire or were with another child who was.
Napping baby-sitters have been identified as a major factor leading to fires involving unsupervised children.
The story that Mrs. O'Leary's cow started the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is probably a myth. It is more likely that it was started in her barn by some men who were playing cards and drinking.
Left unchecked a fire will double in size every 30 seconds.
A fire fighters chance of success is significantly reduced if the fire spreads vertically to two or more floors.
Experts have determined that at least 11 fire fighters are required to accomplish a safe initial assault on the interior of a single-family dwelling fire.
More women die attempting to escape fire than men.
Those who died in their rooms in the MGM Grand Hotel fire had either broken or left their windows open. There were no deaths in rooms where wet towels were stuffed in cracks around the doors.
A wastebasket fire can consume an entire room in 5 minutes.
In the July 1994 fire at Storm King Mountain which killed 14 fire fighters, professionals estimate the fire moved 650 yards in 25 seconds.
Once flames appear, a fire can engulf a home in 3 minutes.