A Review of Fire-Related Deaths in Alberta

Abstract

ABSTRACTBurnt remains and fire-related research are growing areas of investigation in forensic anthropology; however, for this research to be valuable to criminal death investigations it must be comparable with real death circumstances. To ensure this relevance, an understanding of the circumstances (and victim profiles) relating to fatal fires is required. As a first step in addressing these issues, this paper examines and interprets fire deaths occurring in Alberta, Canada over a ten-year period between January 1999 and December 2008. The results show that 274 individuals died in 231 fire incidents during the period under review. The majority of these deaths occurred in residential fires (65%), vehicle fires following vehicle collisions (20%) and stationary vehicle fires (8%). Analysis also indicates that the victim and burn profile vary with fire type. In residential fires, young and elderly individuals are at risk whereas in vehicle fires following vehicle collisions, middle-aged adults are the most common victims. Victims of residential fires exhibit varying degrees of burn damage and remains may be reduced to calcined bone fragments. More severe burning is seen in trailer or cabin fires compared to house fires. In vehicle fires, burn damage is often significant, with remains frequently exhibiting thermal amputation. Fatal residential and stationary vehicle fires are more common in the winter and spring seasons, in contrast to vehicle fires following vehicle collisions which occur most often in the fall.