The Seasonal Nature of Fires (Paperback)

Nearly 1.7 million fires in the United States during 2002 claimed 3,380 lives, injured 18,425 people, and destroyed over $10 billion in property. Incendiary and suspicious acts (including arson), cooking and carelessness with open flames are the leading causes of fires. These causes have a common thread: human activity and human error. As such, most of these fires were likely preventable. Many activities that influence fire incidence change with the season of the year. In the winter, the need for heating increases. Hot, dry weather affects wildland areas and creates fire prone situations. Warm weather tends to bring people and their behaviors outdoors. Behaviors also change as people participate in various holiday customs and traditions. At some holidays, decorations in the home increase the load of combustible material. The use of candles and extra electric lighting may be used to celebrate other events. Fireworks are part of Fourth of July and other celebrations. As part of seasonal celebrations, people may prepare and cook elaborate meals. People also travel more, leaving some homes unoccupied while other homes increase in occupancy. Any of these behaviors can affect both the incidence and the severity of fires. By understanding the nature and scope of seasonal fires, public education and other fire related programs can be specifically targeted at these seasonal fire problems. This report first explores fire patterns by each season of the year; both the changes in incidence and the causes of fire are discussed. The report then focuses on the changes in fire profiles around four seasonal holidays: Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. These holidays were chosen because of their striking changes in fire patterns.

General

Imprint:	Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	U.S. Fire Administration
Release date:	October 2013
First published:	October 2013
Authors:	Federal Emergency Management Agency • Us Fire Administration • U S Department of Homelan Security
Dimensions:	280 x 216 x 2mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	28
ISBN-13:	978-1-4929-2648-1
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social issues > Social impact of disasters > General
LSN:	1-4929-2648-5
Barcode:	9781492926481

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