Fire Casualties, Per Capita rates and Relative Risk

1/3/2023 (Permalink)

When determining fire risk, geographic, demographic and socioeconomic factors all come into play. People in the Midwest and South, males, and adults ages 55 or older were all at a higher risk of dying in a fire than the general population. Also, although their risk of fire death and injury was less than the general population, the very young (ages 4 and younger) were at a higher risk of fire death and injury when compared to older children.

Additionally, African Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives also had a higher risk of death from fire than the population as a whole. These groups remained at a higher risk despite considerable long-term reductions in fires and fire casualties. Fire casualties across population groups can be assessed in several ways. The simplest method is to look at the distribution of the numbers of deaths or injuries across the factor of interest. For example, in the case of race in 2019, the number of fire deaths was greatest for white Americans and least for American Indians/Alaska Natives. In the case of age, percentages of fire deaths were greatest for those ages 55 to 74 accounting for 42% of fire deaths, while only 25% of fire injuries occurred among adults in this same age group (Figure 1). Although these findings are informative, they do not account for differences in the basic population groups under comparison. In the case of age, as an age group matures, its number of individuals decreases as a result of deaths. In the case of race for populations living in the U.S., there are far fewer American Indians/Alaska Natives, for example, than white Americans. As a consequence, it is possible for an age group or race to have greater (or fewer) injuries or deaths because the total number of individuals who can be injured is larger (or smaller) than that of other groups. If you have suffered any fire damage to your home or business; please call SERVPRO of Sussex County at 302-856-9768.