Abstract
In the early days, hazards of fire were limited to its thermal hazards. With the advancement of civilization, science and industry, the lifestyles of people have changed, including their housing trends, i.e. space, insulation and ventilation, the hazards of other components of the fire has surfaced. Three family members and a niece were found dead inside their airtight, locked house, in a morning by the driver. The pantry area which opened into the living room had evidence of fire. At the autopsy, all four bodies were covered with black soot, but there were no burns in bodies or clothing. The cause of deaths was given as death due to smoke inhalation. The circumstance of the deaths was ascertained as accidental. Even though deaths due to smoke inhalation are rare, with air-conditioning and insulation of houses, the hazards of smoke have increased in Sri Lanka. Therefore, installations of smoke alarms or fire sprinkler systems are recommended to prevent such deaths in the future.
Highlights
Fire is one of the most important discoveries of human life
Though house fires are not common in Sri Lanka, it is an important cause of injury and death in the United States, accounting for about 17 000 casualties and 3000 deaths each year.[1]
The spreading of smoke will form a hot layer at the ceiling level first, later spreading down towards the floor. This will reduce the level of oxygen (O2) and when the level becomes less than 7% it is a major cause of incapacitation and death.[3]Smoke will contain carbon monoxide (CO) which is a dangerous and potentially lethal gas.[4]
Summary
Prasadini SMD Senarath1* , Chathura SA Nandasiri, Muditha Vidanapathirana1 1Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. With the advancement of civilization, science and industry, the lifestyles of people have changed, including their housing trends, i.e. space, insulation and ventilation, the hazards of other components of the fire has surfaced. Even though deaths due to smoke inhalation are rare, with air-conditioning and insulation of houses, the hazards of smoke have increased in Sri Lanka. Installations of smoke alarms or fire sprinkler systems are recommended to prevent such deaths in the future. Copyright: @ 2018 with the Medico-legal Journal of Sri Lanka.
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