NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 75

ANALYSIS + RESEARCH NFPA REPORTS Information about automatic smoke detection equipment was available for four of the six catastrophic structure fires that occurred in 2015. Three homes were equipped with smoke alarms. All operated, but one operated with a delay and another was located in the basement and was ineffective in alerting the victims. The third system did operate and notified an alarm company, which in turn alerted the fire department, but it is not known why the occupants did not escape. The vacant building had no smoke alarms. Smoke alarms have been proven effective in reducing the risk of death in home fires. The most effective arrangement is interconnected, multiplestation smoke alarms supplied by hardwired AC power with a battery backup. These should be located outside each sleeping area, on each level, and in each bedroom. Homeowners should routinely test smoke alarms according to manufacturers' recommendations. NFPA recommends testing home smoke alarms at least monthly. Batteries should also be replaced according to manufacturers' recommendations; conventional batteries should be replaced at least yearly. If an alarm "chirps"-a warning that the battery is low-the battery should be replaced right away. All smoke alarms, including hard-wired alarms and alarms that use 10-year batteries, should be replaced when they are 10 years old, or sooner if they do not respond properly when tested. Smoke alarms are only effective if occupants leave the building when they sound. Children should be familiar with the sound of a properly operating smoke alarm and follow a practiced escape plan that emphasizes two exits from any location, as well as a designated meeting place once they have left the structure. Exit drills in the home are part of many schools' curricula. Practicing the plan helps families determine whether children and others readily waken to the sound of a smoke alarm if it sounds during the night; that knowledge, along with assistance for family members who require it, can be factored into the escape plan. Practicing escape plans, as well as basic fire prevention principles, might have prevented many of the fires and deaths included in this report. Where we get our data, and acknowledgments NFPA obtains its data by reviewing national and local news media, including fire service publications. A news clipping service reads all daily U.S. newspapers and notifies NFPA's Fire Analysis and Research Division of catastrophic fires. Once an incident has been identified, we request information from the local fire department or the agency having jurisdiction. NFPA's annual survey of U.S. fire experience and mailings to the state fire marshals are additional data sources, although not principal ones. We also contact federal agencies that have participated in the investigation of such fires. The diversity and redundancy of these sources enable us to collect the most complete data available on catastrophic fires throughout the United States. We understand that, in many cases, a fire department cannot release information due to ongoing litigation. In other cases, fire departments have been unable to determine the information we requested. NFPA wishes to thank the U.S. fire service and the medical examiners for their contributions of data, without which this report would not be possible. STEPHEN G. BADGER, a fire data assistant with NFPA's Fire Analysis and Research Division, is retired from the Quincy, Massachusetts, Fire Department. » Climate This was a hot and dry day with the area in extreme drought conditions. Fire Origin and Path The cause of this fire was trees in contact with power lines. Factors Hindering Occupant Escape When the wind shifted, the firefighters were attempting to escape the fire in their apparatus when it left the road in zero visibility and went down an embankment. One other firefighter was injured in the crash. The victims were aged 31, 26, and 20. NON-STRUCTURAL OHIO Date, Time of Alarm, Number of Deaths November 10, 2:55 p.m., 4 deaths (all on the aircraft) Setting This incident involved a small business jet aircraft with seven passengers and two crew members. The aircraft crashed into a four-unit apartment building and instantly caught fire. Climate No information was reported. Fire Origin and Path The aircraft crashed into the second story of a four-unit apartment building and JP-4 fuel caught fire immediately. Factors Hindering Occupant Escape The fire burned the aircraft and apartment building and spread to two other buildings. The medical examiner's office reported that four of the nine occupants of the aircraft died of inhalation of products of combustion and/or thermal injuries, and the other five died of multiple blunt force trauma. The report did not indicate if the victims were passengers or crew. The ages of the four victims were not reported, but they were all adults. CALIFORNIA Date, Time of Alarm, Number of Deaths September 12, 1:24 p.m., 4 deaths Setting Wildland/urban interface fire. Fuels included conifers intermixed with hardwoods, Manzanita, and chamise. Climate The temperature at the time was 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius), relative humidity was 12 percent, winds 18 miles per hour (29 kilometers per hour) with gusts of 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour). Fire Origin and Path The cause and origin are undetermined at this time. Factors Hindering Occupant Escape This fire burned 76,067 acres (30,783 hectares), destroyed 1,958 structures, including 1,200 homes, 27 multi-family properties, 68 commercial properties and 585 minor structures. Another 93 structures were damaged. The four victims died in different locations in the fire area. Three were in their homes and one was located outdoors near his car. Four firefighters deployed their shelters but were injured. The ages of three of the victims were 72, 69, and 66. The fourth victim, whose age was not reported, was an adult. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 NFPA JOURNAL 75

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2016