The risk of death or injury from fire is not the same for everyone. In 2015, 3,360 deaths and 15,700 injuries in the U.S. were caused by fires.
These casualties were not equally distributed across the U.S. population, and the resulting risk of death or injury from fire is not uniform – it is more severe for some groups than for others.
Much can be learned from understanding why different segments of society are at a heightened risk from the fire problem. This topical fire report explores fire risk as it applies to fire casualties in the U.S. population and is an update to “Fire Risk in 2014,” Volume 17, Issue 7.
Risk is a factor, element or course of action involving uncertainty. It is an exposure to some peril, and it often implies a probability of occurrence, such as investment risk or insurance risk. In terms of the fire problem, risk is the potential for injury to or death of a person, or damage to or loss of property, as a result of fire.
This topical report focuses on how fire risk, specifically the risks of death and injury, varies with age, and how other demographic and socioeconomic factors weigh upon that risk.
