Research REPORT SUMMARY Fires and Burns Involving Home Medical Oxygen in the U.S. AN ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM 2017 TO 2021 UNDERSCORES THE HIGH PERCENTAGES OF DEATHS AND INJURIES IN FIRES INVOLVING THIS EQUIPMENT By Shelby Hall A ccording to emergency room data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for the years 2017-2021, home medical oxygen was involved in an average of 1,041 thermal burns annually during that time. Data from version 5.0 of the U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Incident Reporting System indicate that, from 2017 to 2021, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 228 home fires per year in which oxygen administration equipment was involved in ignition. An estimated 96 people per year died in those fires. Smoking is by far the leading factor in these incidents. Fires burn hotter and faster in oxygen-enriched atmospheres, and items in such environments ignite at lower temperatures. Strict requirements regulate the use and storage of medical oxygen in health care facilities, but few regulations are followed in home environments. Finding the balance between preserving a patient's privacy and ensuring safety is a multidisciplinary challenge. Methodology and overview The exact number of people who receive 66 | NFPA JOURNAL * FALL 2023 ASLAN ALPHAN/GETTY IMAGES