NFPA Journal - Spring 2024 - 64

NFPA Research The Reports
The remains of a home near
Yreka, California, destroyed
by the McKinney Fire in 2022.
Four fatalities were attributed
to the fire, the year's deadliest
wildfire in California.
two in the living room/lounge area, one
in the kitchen/dining area, and one on a
porch. Two of the home fires had a cause
reported-one was a child playing with
matches at a Christmas tree, and the other
was a malfunctioning space heater.
Twelve of the home fires broke out
between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.,
killing 75 people (76.5 percent of the catastrophic
home fire deaths), including 19
of the children under age six.
Nonhome structure fires and
nonstructure fires
Two of the 18 catastrophic multiple-death
fires and explosions in 2022 occurred in
nonhome structures, resulting in seven
deaths. One occurred in a vacant three-family
home, and one was an explosion and fire
in a warehouse with fireworks. No children
under age six died in these fires.
One fire was listed as arson, and no
information was reported on the other.
No information was reported on automatic
detection or suppression systems
in either incident. The area of ignition
was reported in one of the incidents as
a storage area. An ignition factor was
not reported in the other incident. One
of these properties was in full operation,
the other was vacant. The incident in the
vacant home broke out between 11 p.m.
and 7 a.m. and killed three firefighters.
64 | NFPA JOURNAL * SPRING 2024
In 2022, there were two catastrophic
nonstructure fires, both related to wildfires,
and accounted for eight deaths. One
fire was a wildfire that killed four people.
The second was a helicopter that crashed
after assisting and fighting a wildfire.
The cause and origin were not reported
or known for either incident.
The benefits of smoke
detection equipment and
fire sprinklers
Information on smoke detection equipment
was reported in seven of the
catastrophic multiple-death incidents
occurring in structures or vehicles in
2022. Detectors were present in three of
the incidents and no detectors were present
in four cases. These systems reportedly
operated in only one fire. Information on
automatic suppression equipment was
reported on only five of the structure fires.
None of these had sprinkler protection.
Smoke alarms have been proven effective
in reducing the risk of death in home
fires. The most efficient arrangement is
interconnected, multiple-station 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.
Additionally, home fire sprinklers have
been proven to save lives across many
kinds of properties, including homes.
According to NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative
(firesprinklerinitiative.org), the civilian
death rate associated with home fires is 81
percent lower in homes with fire sprinklers
than in homes without them. Additionally,
sprinklers reduce the average property loss
in home fires by 71 percent per fire, and
the average firefighter injury rate is nearly
80 percent lower when fire sprinklers are
present during fires. When home sprinklers
are present, fires are confined to the
room of origin 97 percent of the time.
When fire sprinklers and hardwired
smoke alarms are both present, the home
fire death rate drops by 90 percent. By
comparison, when battery-powered smoke
alarms are present but automatic extinguishing
systems are not, the home fire
death rate drops by 18 percent.
Batteries for smoke alarms should be
replaced according to manufacturer recommendations;
conventional batteries
should be replaced at least yearly. If an
alarm chirps, indicating that the battery
is low, the battery should be replaced right
away. All smoke alarms, including hardwired
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 the alarms
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.
DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (PHOTO BY DAVID MCNEW/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
http://www.firesprinklerinitiative.org
NFPA Journal - Spring 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Spring 2024
