Soft furnishing fires: They're still a problem

Abstract

SummaryHome fires in which soft furnishings were first ignited or contributed to fire spread cause a disproportionate share of US home fire deaths. Although the death toll from these fires is much lower than in the 1980s, the rate of death per 1000 reported fires has doubled. Data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System and the National Fire Protection Association's annual Fire Experience Survey were used to create national estimates of these fires and casualties. Including both fires in which upholstered furniture was the item first ignited and contributed most to fire spread, in 2013‐2017, upholstered furniture was involved in an estimated average of 7120 (2%) home fires per year, resulting in an average of 570 (22%) deaths per year. Mattresses or bedding were involved in estimated average of 10 530 (3%) home fires per year, resulting in an average of 370 (14%) deaths annually. In most of these fires and deaths, the item was first ignited. Smoking materials were the leading cause of these fires (20%‐26%) and associated deaths (52%‐54%). Various types of operating equipment and small open flames also play a role. Understanding the causes of these fires is essential to develop new strategies to prevent them.