141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
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Online Program

295258
Causes and risks of residential fires in an urban population


Monday, November 4, 2013

Wendy C. Shields, MPH, Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Eileen M. McDonald, MS, Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Shannon Frattaroli, PhD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Elise Perry, MHS, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Xia Ma, MS, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Andrea C. Gielen, ScD, ScM, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Background/Purpose: In 2011, fires caused 17,500 injuries and more than 3,000 deaths, and resulted in more than $11 billion in property damage (Karter, 2012) in the US. This analysis will examine the causes of fires and the prevalence of fire risks in an urban population using surveillance data from NFIRS and observational data from a case/control study.

Methods: Data on the causes and room of origin of residential fires in Baltimore City from 2010-2011 were obtained from NFIRS. Causes and area of origin were tabulated. As part of a case/control study to examine housing quality, we observed 175 homes in Baltimore of children <8 years old that had recently visited the PED for an illness or an injury. These data were collected from August 2012-April 2013. Homes were observed for the presence of fire risks such as fireplaces, defective stove tops, and overloaded or defective electrical outlets. Risks were tabulated and described.

Results/Outcomes: Among 2,023 fires with known causes, 57.14% were caused by cooking; 6.33% of fires were caused by electrical malfunction. Among 1,001 unintentional fires not contained to the item of origin, 24% originated in the kitchen and 23% in the bedroom. Based on home observations, overloaded electrical outlets were present in 16% of living rooms and 11% of the child's bedrooms. Six households (3%) reported frequently ‘blown' fuses and 5% of households had a fireplace. Other observed hazards included defective stove and missing cover plates on outlets.

Conclusions: Serious fire hazards exist in urban homes with children.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the causes of residential fires in Baltimore City 2010-2011 Describe the prevalence of residential fire risks in a sample of homes in Baltimore City 2012-2013

Keyword(s): Injury Risk, Housing

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been project director and data analyst for multiple federally funded grants on injury prevention research. My research interests include fire injury epidemiology and prevention.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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