Tài liệu HOME FIRES INVOLVING COOKING EQUIPMENT ppt

Ranges, with or without ovens, account for two-thirds 67% of total reported confined or confined home structure fires involving cooking equipment and even larger shares of associated civ

HOME FIRES INVOLVING COOKING EQUIPMENT

John R Hall, Jr

Fire Analysis and Research Division National Fire Protection Association

Abstract

In 2005, an estimated 146,400 U.S home structure fires involving cooking equipment resulted in

480 civilian deaths, 4,690 civilian injuries, and $876 million in direct property damage

Ranges, with or without ovens, account for two-thirds (67%) of total reported confined or confined home structure fires involving cooking equipment and even larger shares of associated civilian deaths (85%) and civilian injuries (82%) Portable cooking or warming devices had the third largest share of home cooking fires but the second largest share of associated civilian deaths

non-Keywords: Range, oven, microwave, toaster, grill, frying, fryer, fire statistics

Acknowledgements

The National Fire Protection Association thanks all the fire departments and state fire

authorities who participate in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and the annual NFPA fire experience survey These firefighters are the original sources of the

detailed data that make this analysis possible Their contributions allow us to estimate the

size of the fire problem

We are also grateful to the U.S Fire Administration for its work in developing, coordinating, and maintaining NFIRS

For more information about the National Fire Protection Association, visit www.nfpa.org or call 617-770-3000 To learn more about the One-Stop Data Shop go to www.nfpa.org/osds or call 617-984-7450

Copies of this analysis are available from:

National Fire Protection Association

One-Stop Data Shop

NFPA No USS11

Copyright © 2008, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA

Executive Summary

In 2005, an estimated 146,400 U.S home structure fires involving cooking equipment resulted in

480 civilian deaths, 4,690 civilian injuries, and $876 million in direct property damage Cooking

is the leading cause of home structure fires and associated civilian injuries

The numbers of home cooking fires in 2002-2005 were the highest totals estimated since 1981 Except for the 1990s, the number of estimated deaths in home structure cooking equipment fires has fallen in the range of 450 to 530 in most years covered in Table 1, and there has been no clear trend Associated civilian injuries have shown no clear trend since 2002, when NFIRS Version 5.0 was well established, and the total is below the level in 1998, which was at the end

of a decade-long downward trend Associated direct property damage adjusted for inflation was the highest since 1981 except for the 1991 total, which is distorted by estimation problems unique to that year

The recent increases in home cooking fires coincides with the introduction of confined cooking fire as a coding option Therefore, it is not clear whether the increase reflects a real increase in fires or a shift in how incidents are coded The increase in inflation-adjusted property damage is not so easily explained by the change in coding options

Cooking equipment accounted for 40% of total home structure fires in 2005, 16% of associated civilian deaths, 36% of associated civilian injuries, and 13% of associated direct property

damage

Ranges, with or without ovens, account for two-thirds (67%) of total reported confined or confined home structure fires involving cooking equipment and even larger shares of associated civilian deaths (85%) and civilian injuries (82%) Note that fires in ovens that are parts of ranges often may be coded as range fires

non-Portable cooking or warming devices had the third largest share of home cooking fires, after ranges and ovens, but the second largest share of associated civilian deaths

In 2006, cooking equipment accounted for 67,240 estimated injuries reported to U.S hospital emergency rooms

The leading factors contributing to ignition for 2002-2005 non-confined home structure fires involving cooking equipment were equipment unattended (38%), heat source too close to

combustibles (12%), unintentionally turned on or not turned off (10%), and abandoned or

discarded material or product (8%)

Frying appears to be the cooking method with the highest risk of fire Frying accounted for 63%

regular frying, and turkey fryers involve extremely large quantities of hot cooking oil These characteristics may add to the fire or scald risk of these devices

Three-fifths (59%) of civilian injuries suffered in home structure fires involving cooking

equipment occurred while the victim was trying to fight the fire, compared to one-third (35%) of injuries suffered in any other type of home structure fire

Also, 7% of civilian deaths in home structure fires involving cooking occurred as a result of injuries while fighting the fire, compared to 3% of deaths in any other type of home structure fire

The majority (54%) of 2002-2005 non-confined structure fires involving cooking equipment began with ignition of cooking materials

Nearly all (93%) of 2002-2005 non-confined home structure fires involving cooking equipment began in the kitchen

Electric powered ranges have a higher risk of fires and associated losses than gas-fueled ranges

Home fires involving cooking equipment are a holiday tradition, peaking on dates that are major U.S holidays with traditions of cooking, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve

Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipments, 2/08 ii NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Table of Contents

Appendix A: How National Estimates Statistics Are Calculated 135

Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, 2/08 iv NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

List of Numbered Tables and Figures

Page

Table A Home Fires Involving Kitchen Equipment, Including Cooking Equipment 3 Figure 1 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Year 5 Table B Home Structure Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Type of Device 6 Table C Estimated Hospital Emergency Room Injuries Involving Cooking 8

Equipment, by Type of Equipment

Table D Electrocution Deaths Involving Cooking Equipment 12 Figure 2 Percentage of Home Structure Fires, by Alarm Time 13 Table E Leading Dates for Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment 14

Figure 4 Extinguishment Method Reported in CPSC Study of Reported and 16

Table 1 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Year 20

Table 2 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Factor Contributing to Ignition 21 Table 3 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Human Factor 22

Contributing to Ignition

Table 4 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Item First Ignited 23 Table 5 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Area of Origin 24 Table 6 Trends in U.S Use of Primary Cooking Power Sources 25

Table 7 Comparative Risks of Gas versus Electric Stoves 26 Table 8 U.S Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Deaths Involving Home Cooking Equipment 27 Table 9 Casualties in Home Structure Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, 28

by Age of Victim

Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, 2/08 vi NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

One-Stop Data Shop

Fire Analysis and Research Division

One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169

Email: osds@nfpa.org

www.nfpa.org

Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment

In 2005, U.S fire departments responded to 146,400 home1 structure fires that involved cooking

equipment in 2005 These fires caused 480 civilian fire deaths, 4,690 civilian fire injuries,

$876 million in direct property damage

• Cooking equipment fires are the leading cause of home structure fires and associated civilian injuries

• Ranges accounted for the largest share (67%) of home cooking fire incidents in

2005 Ovens accounted for 19%

• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires

• In 2002-2005, unattended cooking equipment was the leading factor contributing to home cooking fires (38%), deaths (45%), injuries (46%) and direct property damage (37%)

• Twelve percent of the fire occurred when something that could catch fire was too close to the equipment

• Three-fifths (59%) of reported home cooking fire injuries occurred when victims tried to fight the fire themselves

• In a 1999 study of range fires by the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission, 83% of frying fires began in the first 15 minutes of cooking

Home Cooking Equipment Fires

Range, with

or without oven

Portable cooking

or warming device

Reported Fire Injuries and Emergency Room Treated Burns

Involving Cooking Equipment

Grill Range or oven

2002-2005 Home fire injuries

2006 Thermal burns

2006 Scald burns

Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, 2/08 viii NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

One-Stop Data Shop

Fire Analysis and Research Division

One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169

Email: osds@nfpa.org

www.nfpa.org

Home Fires Involving Grills

In 2005, U.S fire departments responded to an estimated 8,300 home1 fires involving grills, hibachis or

barbecues, including 3,400 structure fires and 4,900 outside fires These 8,300 fires caused 10 civilian

deaths (to the nearest ten), 110 reported injuries and $137 million in direct property damage

ƒ Almost all the losses occurred in structure fires

ƒ The 3,400 home structure fires involving grills accounted for 2% of the reported home cooking equipment fires, 3% of associated civilian deaths, and 2% of associated civilian injuries, but 16% of the associated property damage

ƒ One-third (35%) of the non-confined 2

home structure fires involving grills started on an exterior balcony or unenclosed porch, 18% started on a courtyard, terrace or patio, and 11% started on an exterior wall surface

Fires rounded to the nearest 10

• Gas grills were involved in a total of 7,200 home fires, including 2,800 structure fires and 4,400 outdoor fires

• Leak or break was the leading factor contributing to gas grill fires

• Flammable or combustible gas or liquid was the leading item first ignited in gas grill fires

• Charcoal or other solid-fueled grills were involved in a total 1,100 home fires, including

600 structure fires and 500 outside fires

• The leading cause was something that could burn being too close to the grill

• Structural member or framing was first ignited in one-fifth of the charcoal-or other solid-fueled grill non-confined structure fires Exterior wall covering or finish was first ignited in another one- fifth

2005 Home Grill Fires by Power Type

2,780

4,370 600

500 40

4,900

Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, 2/08 x NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

One-Stop Data Shop

Fire Analysis and Research Division

One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169

Email: osds@nfpa.org

www.nfpa.org

Home Fires Involving Microwave Ovens

Microwave ovens were involved in an estimated 7,400 home1 structure fires in 2005, resulting in 87 civilian injuries and $18 million direct property damage There were no reported fire deaths

• Nearly one-third (30%) of 2002-2005 non-confined microwave oven home structure fires cited appliance housing or casing as the item first ignited

• Microwave ovens involve more emergency room scald burn injuries than any other cooking device.

• Nearly half (41%) of the microwave oven injuries seen at emergency rooms

Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, 2/08 xii NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA

Introduction

“Cooking” refers to food preparation through the application of heat Cooking equipment

therefore does not include all food processing equipment For example, electric can openers and food processors are excluded These other types of equipment typically found in the kitchen are analyzed in NFPA’s report on home fires involving kitchen equipment other than cooking

equipment

Beginning in 1999, NFIRS Version 5.0 provides additional detail on the type of cooking

equipment, primarily specific types of portable cooking or warming devices Here is an

overview of the new vs old equipment categories

631 Coffee maker or teapot 25 Portable cooking or warming device

632 Food warmer or hot plate 25 Portable cooking or warming device

634 Popcorn popper 25 Portable cooking or warming device

635 Pressure cooker or canner 25 Portable cooking or warming device

636 Slow cooker 25 Portable cooking or warming device

637 Toaster, toaster oven, or countertop

broiler

25 Portable cooking or warming device

638 Waffle iron or griddle 25 Portable cooking or warming device

639 Wok, frying pan or skillet 25 Portable cooking or warming device

641 Breadmaking machine 25 Portable cooking or warming device

643 Grill, hibachi, or barbecue 26 Open-fired grill

644 Microwave oven These devices could have been coded in up to

four places in NFIRS Version 4.1

645 Oven or rotisserie 22 Fixed, stationary oven, including rotisserie

646 Range with or without an oven or

cooking surface, including counter-mounted

stove

21 Fixed, stationary surface unit, including stove

647 Steam table or warming drawer/table 23 Fixed, stationary food warming appliance

654 Grease hood or duct exhaust fan 27 Grease hood or duct

Incident type 113 Structure fire involving

contents of cooking vessel with no fire

extension beyond vessel

Does not correspond to any specific type of equipment in NFIRS Version 4.1

Overview of Kitchen Equipment

Most equipment involved in food preparation, storage, clean-up or disposal is used primarily in

the kitchen and is here referred to as kitchen equipment, even when it is used in another area

This equipment is further separated into cooking equipment (food preparation employing heat)

and any other equipment, primarily refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers See Table A

Table A Home Fires Involving Kitchen Equipment, Including Cooking Equipment

Annual Average of 2002-2005 Structure Fires Reported to U.S Fire Departments

(Including Fires Reported as Confined Fires)

Civilian Civilian Direct Property Damage Type or Group of Equipment Fires Deaths Injuries (in Millions)

coded as equipment other

than cooking equipment

Note: Numbers in parentheses exclude confined fires Confined fires are fires reported as confined to chimney, flue, fuel burner,

or boiler and involving heating equipment; they are analyzed separately These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S

municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades National

estimates are projections Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually

serious fire Fires are rounded to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and civilian injuries are expressed to the nearest ten and

property damage is rounded to the nearest million dollars Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment

involved in ignition unknown or reported as cooking or kitchen equipment of undetermined type Fires reported as “no

equipment” but lacking a confirming specific heat source (codes 40-99) are also treated as unknown equipment and allocated

Damages have not been adjusted for inflation

Beginning in 1999, the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) introduced six

confined-fire coding options – confined to cooking vessel, chimney, boiler, incinerator, trash compactor, or trash container There is less mandatory reporting associated with fires reported

as confined fires, but there is enough voluntary reporting to permit analysis of patterns for these fires, including analysis of equipment involved in ignition In NFPA’s home cooking fire report, fires reported as confined to a cooking vessel and as involving cooking equipment are

statistically allocated among the different types of cooking equipment In NFPA’s report on fires involving kitchen equipment other than cooking equipment, there is no allocation of fires reported as confined to a cooking vessel, because there are few such fires also coded as

involving kitchen equipment other than cooking equipment However, there are a large number

of home fires reported as confined to a cooking vessel and involving some equipment other than cooking equipment

Cooking is the leading cause of home structure fires and associated civilian injuries In

2002-2005, cooking equipment accounted for 42.7% of home structure fires, 15.4% of associated civilian deaths, 35.1% of associated civilian injuries, and 12.8% of associated direct property damage Kitchen equipment other than cooking equipment accounted for 0.9% of fires, 0.5% of deaths, 0.8% of injuries, and 1.2% of damage Fires confined to a cooking vessel but coded as involving equipment other than cooking equipment accounted for 1.1% of fires, 0.0% of deaths, 0.9% of injuries, and 0.0% of damage All kitchen equipment combined accounted for 44.7% of home structure fires, 15.9% of associated civilian deaths, 36.8% of associated civilian injuries and 14.1% of associated direct property damage

All Cooking Equipment

In 2005, an estimated 146,400 reported U.S home structure fires involving cooking

equipment resulted in 480 deaths, 4,690 civilian injuries, and $876 million in direct

property damage

The numbers of home cooking fires in 2002-2005 were the highest totals estimated since 1981 Except for the 1990s, the number of estimated deaths in home structure cooking equipment fires has fallen in the range of 450 to 530 in most years covered in Table 1, and there has been no clear trend Associated civilian injuries have shown no clear trend since 2002, when NFIRS Version 5.0 was well established, and the total is below the level in 1998, which was at the end

of a decade-long downward trend Associated direct property damage adjusted for inflation was the highest since 1981 except for the 1991 total, which is distorted by estimation problems unique to that year

The recent increases in home cooking fires coincides with the introduction of confined cooking fire as a coding option Therefore, it is not clear whether the increase reflects a real increase in fires or a shift in how incidents are coded The increase in inflation-adjusted property damage is not so easily explained by the change in coding options

Because the measures of loss show different trends, it is not clear that any simple statement about the trend of the home cooking fire problem is supported by the evidence Cooking remains the leading cause of home structure fires and associated civilian injuries

Figure 1 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Year Structure Fires Reported to U.S Fire Departments

Some other NFPA reports show different totals for home cooking fires and losses than are shown

in this report The principal reason is that this report excludes fires reported as confined to a

cooking vessel if they are not also reported to involve cooking equipment The largest share of

these excluded fires involved heating stoves, which accounted for an estimated 400 confined

cooking fires in 2005, or about 10% the number of confined cooking fires not involving cooking

equipment A fire can be coded as a confined cooking fire involving a heating stove for several

reasons Some heating stoves are designed and marketed for dual use as cooking equipment, but

this kind of equipment appears to be in very limited use Also, some heating stoves not designed

for dual use nevertheless may be used for cooking, which may be an unsafe practice Finally,

some cooking stove fires may be coded as heating stove fires because “heating stove” is the only

coding option that uses the word “stove” in its name “Cooking stoves” are labeled as ranges,

and the fact that this includes cooking stoves appears only later in the language that fully

describes what is included in this entry

It also should be noted that estimates may be different if dwellings and apartments are analyzed

separately, as is done in NFPA’s report giving an overview of home structure fires

Ranges, with or without ovens, account for two-thirds (68%) of total reported confined or

non-confined home structure fires involving cooking equipment and even larger shares of

associated civilian deaths (85%) and civilian injuries (82%)

Ranges also account for the largest number and share of confined cooking fires – 69,600 (98,600

minus 28,900) or 64% of the total of 108,800 (146,400 minus 37,600) home structure fires that

are reported as confined cooking fires involving cooking equipment (See Table B.)

Table B Home Structure Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Type of Device, 2005

Range, with or without oven 98,600 (28,900) 410 (410) 3,850 (2,890) $556 ($540)

Oven, including rotisserie 27,800 (3,100) 10 (10) 360 (110) $52 ($39)

Portable cooking or warming 7,400 (2,100) 40 (40) 260 (170) $88 ($88)

device

Microwave oven 7,400 (1,400) 0 (0) 90 (40) $18 ($18)

Grill, hibachi, or barbecue 3,400 (1,300) 10 (10) 80 (60) $137 ($137)

Deep fryer 1,000 (300) 0 (0) 50 (20) $17 ($17)

Grease hood or duct exhaust 700 (400) 0 (0) 10 (10) $8 ($8)

Steam table or warming device 100 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) $0 ($0)

All cooking equipment 146,400 (37,600) 480 (480) 4,690 (3,300) $876 ($845)

Note: Statistics in parentheses exclude confined fires See Notes on Table 1 for additional details on data and methods

Source: Data from NFIRS Version 5.0 and NFPA survey

Portable cooking or warming devices had the third largest share of home cooking fires, after ranges and ovens, but the second largest share of associated civilian deaths

Grills had only the fifth largest share of home cooking fires but had the second largest share of associated direct property damage As the only type of home cooking equipment with extensive outdoor use, the grill share of fires would be higher if one included their 2005 home outdoor fire totals of 4,900 fires, no civilian deaths, 30 civilian injuries, and $0 million in direct property damage (to the nearest million dollars)

Steam table or warming device is the only specific device that appears to fit within the old NFIRS Version 4.0 category of fixed cooking or warming device, which is why it is listed

separately Its estimated fires and losses are very small

Cooking fires accounted for 12,344,000 unreported home fires per year, or 55.3% of all unreported fires in the last study of unreported fires, in 1984.*

That represents an average of more than one kitchen cooking fire for every eight occupied housing units per year, a high rate of potentially hazardous situations (Other kitchen fires added another 4,710,000 fires, or 21.1% of the total, leaving only 23.6% of all unreported fires

occurring outside the kitchen.) This total of 12,344,000 unreported home cooking fires is 88 times the estimated number of reported home cooking fires in 2005 or 99 times the reported total

in 1984, the year of the unreported fire study

The overwhelming majority of these unreported kitchen cooking fires involved no dollar damage

at all, as they stopped with the cooking materials that were first ignited, and only 5.2% of these fires caused someone an injury or illness such as headache or dizziness Nevertheless, these small percentages translate into 642,000 cases of injury or illness per year, or 140 times the number of injuries in home cooking fires that were reported in 2005 The ratio of unreported

1984 home cooking fire injuries to 1984 reported home cooking fire injuries was 131 The estimated total direct property damage for unreported home cooking fires probably adds less than 50% to the total for home cooking fires reported to U.S fire departments.) This

underscores the fact that injuries are the principal reason for concern with home cooking fires

In 2006, cooking equipment accounted for 67,240 estimated injuries reported to U.S

hospital emergency rooms.**

See Table C for a breakdown by device (type of equipment) and for thermal and scald burns Compared to estimated 2005 home fire civilian injuries (in Table B), the microwave oven share

is higher (13% vs 2%), and the grill share is much higher (24% vs 2%) A large share of

injuries for any device do not involve either thermal burns (e.g., contact burns) or scald burns Abrasions, contusions, and lacerations are other common types of injuries occurring when the

cooking equipment that is capable of very high temperatures (e.g., microwave oven) or that is

used to heat liquids as beverages (e.g., coffee maker or tea pot) or as a sauce or cooking medium

(e.g., deep fryer, slow cooker, pressure cooker)

Table C Estimated Hospital Emergency Room Injuries Involving Cooking Equipment

by Type of Equipment, 2006

Thermal burn Scald Scald burn Estimated Thermal burn percentage of burn percentage of Type of Equipment injuries injuries total injuries injuries total injuries

All cooking equipment* 67,240 (100%) 29,850 44% 8,460 13%

*There appears to be no equipment category corresponding to range hood or duct fan

Source: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System

As further context, there were a total of 63,150 scald burn injuries reported to hospital

emergency rooms in 2006 Three-fourths of these involved hot water Many of these hot-water

scald burns involved water that had been heated for cooking, while most (more than four-fifths)

of the scald burn injuries that did not cite hot water cited cooking equipment or other home

products used in food preparation or presentation

The leading factors contributing to ignition for 2002-2005 non-confined home structure

fires involving cooking equipment were equipment unattended (38%), heat source too close

to combustibles (12%), unintentionally turned on or not turned off (10%), and abandoned

or discarded material or product (8%)

These factors account for a combined total of 68% of fires, but because multiple factors can be

entered for the same fire (and the total of factor entries was 8% higher than the total number of

fires), it is possible that not all of these factor entries represent different fires, but it is still clear

that these factors account for at least 60% of the fires (See Table 2.)

Three of these four factors are similar in that they all involve a failure of oversight Equipment

unattended implies a lack of oversight of the equipment, unintentionally turned on or not turned

off implies a lack of oversight of the operating status of the equipment, and abandoned or

discarded material in this context appears to imply a lack of oversight of either the equipment or

more likely the material in the equipment to be cooked (or spilled near the equipment during

food preparation)

The share of non-confined home structure fires involving cooking equipment that cite equipment

unattended as a factor contributing to ignition (38% in 2002-2005) is much lower than the share

of all home cooking fires cited with this factor before the introduction of NFIRS Version 5.0 A

couple of possible explanations have been identified, but at this stage, they remain speculative One possible explanation is that some unattended-equipment fires are being coded instead as unattended-person fires under human factor contributing to equipment Another possible

explanation is that unattended equipment may be a much more dominant factor for fires that remain confined to the cooking vessel than for the non-confined fires that are the subjects of the analysis in this report Other factors – such as heat source too close to combustibles – may be more likely to suggest an ignition that begins outside the containment of the cooking vessel and

so might be more likely to result in a non-confined fire

Frying appears to be the cooking method with the highest risk of fire

The following bullet points on cooking methods are taken from Marty Ahrens et al., Behavioral

Mitigation of Cooking Fires Through Strategies Based on Statistical Analysis,

EME-2005-CA-0343, project report to U.S Fire Administration, NFPA, 2007 The CPSC study referenced in several bullets below conducted investigations of 289 range fires, including 218 fires that begin with ignition of food or other cooking materials The study statistics cited here are based on these 218 cooking material range fires

• Frying Frying accounted for 63% of the CPSC range fire study incidents.* In those incidents, fire began in the first 15 minutes for 83% of the fires, while 12% began at least

30 minutes after cooking began Frying inherently involves a combustible medium in addition to the food, namely the cooking oil, and two-thirds of the CPSC range fire frying incidents began with ignition of the cooking oil A frying pan provides no containment for fire if one begins For all these reasons, there can be no exceptions to attendance at frying by the cook Because frying is relatively quick, there should be no great hardship

in attendance

Deep fryers involve larger quantities of hot cooking oil than that involved in regular frying, and turkey fryers involve extremely large quantities of hot cooking oil Because the frying process involves inserting the food into the heated medium, then later

removing it and transferring it to a drying location, deep frying with these larger

quantities of hot oil involve numerous opportunities for thermal burns and scalds, as well

as fire ignitions

Woks and other devices designed for stir-fry cooking also need to be considered within the frying cooking method and need to be closely attended

• Broiling and Grilling Broiling and grilling were part of the “other” category that

accounted for 9% of the CPSC range fire study incidents.* (Grilling is broiling on a gridiron.) In the “other” incidents, fire began in the first 15 minutes for 76% of the fires, while 24% began at least 30 minutes after cooking began Broiling and grilling do not inherently involve a combustible medium in addition to the food However, both types of

all grilling are done on exposed cooking surfaces For all these reasons, broiling and grilling can be regarded as only slightly less risky than frying and there should be no exceptions to attendance

Barbecue grills are designed for use outside, and that location may reduce the risk, if fire occurs, of spread from grill to other valuable combustibles In addition, fatal barbecue grill fires are rare However, when fatal grill fires do occur, they nearly always involve ignition of a part of a structure Indoor use of charcoal grills, specifically, also introduces

a significant risk of death due to carbon monoxide build-up This combination accounts for more than 10 deaths a year

• Baking and Roasting Baking accounted for 10% of the CPSC range fire study

incidents.* (Baking and roasting are cooking with dry heat This presumably refers to convective heat, as contrasted with the radiant heat used in broiling and grilling.) Fire began in the first 15 minutes for 88% of the fires, while 12% ignited at least 30 minutes after cooking began Baking and roasting do not inherently involve a combustible

medium in addition to the food Baking does not normally involve a need for regular cook intervention, but some roasting does require regular cook intervention, such as basting, in order to avoid overheating Baking and roasting are typically done in an oven, which provides containment for fire if one begins Primarily for this last reason, baking and roasting can be regarded as less risky than broiling and grilling Brief absences during cooking, which tends to take longer than frying, broiling or grilling, can be

justified, provided a timer is used to remind the cook to check on the cooking

Toaster ovens can be regarded as small baking devices, although they can be used for broiling as well Hot plates and food warmers involve conducted heat rather than

convective heat Together with toasters and toaster ovens, they account for most of the fires and related deaths associated with portable cooking or warming devices Hot plates and toasters should not be left unattended during their typically very short cooking

periods

• Boiling Boiling accounted for 18% of the CPSC range fire study incidents.* Fire began during the first 15 minutes in 6% of the fires, while 63% ignited at least 30 minutes after cooking began Boiling does not inherently involve a combustible medium in addition to the food In fact, the normal medium of water will typically prevent fire until or unless it boils away Boiling does not normally involve a need for regular cook intervention Boiling may be done in either an enclosed container (e.g., kettle, coffee maker) or an open container (e.g., pan) However, if the water boils away, the container may fail and deform, removing the containment Primarily because few fires occur early in the boiling process, boiling can be treated as comparable to or less risky than baking and roasting Brief absences during cooking can be justified, provided a timer is used to remind the cook to check on the cooking Unlike other types of cooking, the periodic inspection can readily identify an impending hazard (i.e., the imminent loss of the water) with ample time to correct the problem

*Linda Smith, Ron Monticone, and Brenda Gillum, Range Fires, Characteristics Reported in National Fire Data and a CPSC

Simmering is cooking done at or just below the boiling point If the simmering

temperature is well below the boiling point, simmering is like slow cooking (see below)

or even food warming “Stewing” is slow boiling “Steaming” is cooking by exposure to steam, i.e., water in the form of heated vapor Each of these presents a variation on boiling

• Slow cooking Slow cooking was not identified in the CPSC range study and represents

a small share of the estimated home fires involving all types of portable cooking or warming equipment Heat levels are typically low enough that other provisions for safety, including close attendance, are not necessary If the cookware is placed where an unlikely minor overflow will not contact other combustibles, there will be added safety

If a crock pot or similar device is used, any ignition of food will also be contained, provided nothing has interfered with the equipment itself

The leading human factor contributing to ignition for 2002-2005 non-confined home

cooking fires was unattended or unsupervised person (27% of fires), but it is possible that some or most of these are actually cases of unattended cooking equipment

Table 3 shows the breakdown “Unattended or unsupervised person” is normally used for a fire started by a person with unreliable judgment, such as a young child, whose access to a heat source leads to the fire None of the other cause-related data elements show patterns clearly consistent with the scenario, and special studies have confirmed that the person conducting the cooking when fire occurs is rarely a young child or an older adult for whom supervision of the person, as opposed to the equipment, would be expected to be an issue The leading human factor contributing to ignition for fire deaths was asleep (33% of fire deaths)

The majority (54%) of 2002-2005 non-confined home structure fires involving cooking equipment began with ignition of cooking materials

Table 4 shows that other types of items first ignited have significant shares of associated losses Clothing ignitions account for only 1% of the fires but for 12% of the associated civilian deaths,

a total of 55 deaths per year Appliance housing or casing accounted for 7% of fires, and the similar household utensil accounted for another 5% of fires Flammable or combustible gas or liquid accounted for 5% of the fires Cabinetry also accounted for 5% of fires but for 10% of damage

Nearly all (93%) of 2002-2005 non-confined home structure fires involving cooking

equipment began in the kitchen

The leading other areas of origin – exterior balcony or unenclosed porch; courtyard, terrace or patio; garage; and exterior wall surface – all primarily reflected locations of grill fires, which accounted for the majority of reported home cooking structure fires in all these areas except garages (See Table 5.)

Electric-powered ranges have a higher risk of fires and associated losses than gas-fueled

ranges

Rates of fires and direct property damage in fires per million user households are three to four

times higher for fires, civilian injuries, and direct property damage (See Table 7.) Rates for

civilian deaths had been higher for gas-fueled ranges in past reports but are higher by one-third

for electric-powered ranges in this report

The risks associated with fires are not significantly changed by the inclusion of

electrocution deaths or non-fire carbon monoxide deaths, except for some small appliances

Electrocution deaths have been estimated by the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission for

1995-2003, excluding 1999 when no report was issued (See Table D.) In 2002, electric ranges

and range hoods were combined in an undifferentiated “other” category In 2003, microwave

ovens and grills were combined in an undifferentiated small cooking appliance category that had

a total of 3 deaths

Table D Electrocution Deaths Involving Cooking Equipment

Source: Risana T Chowdhury, 2003 Electrocutions Associated With Consumer Products, U.S Consumer Product

Safety Commission, December 2006, http://www.cpsc.gov , Table 2, and earlier reports in series

Electrocution deaths are roughly equal to home fire deaths for microwave ovens in 1999-2003

Range hood electrocution deaths average as much as or more than range hood home fire deaths

Non-fire carbon monoxide deaths are shown in Table 8 Charcoal grill non-fire carbon

monoxide deaths dwarf the fire deaths for these devices With these exceptions, these non-fire

deaths are negligible compared to the fire deaths for all other cooking equipment

Roughly one-fourth of people receiving energy assistance have used a kitchen stove for heat

in the previous year.*

Earlier in the report, it was noted that more than 10,000 confined cooking fires per year are

reported to involve a heating stove This figure is an unknown combination of coding errors, use

of equipment designed for both heating and cooking, and use of equipment designed only for

heating for cooking The counterpart to this fire problem is the use of equipment designed only

for cooking for the purpose of heating The number of reported confined heating fires that

*National Energy Assistance Directors Association, 2005 National Energy Assistance Survey: Final Report, September 2005, accessed at

www.neada.org

involve cooking equipment is comparatively small (less than 100), but in this case there is

information on the number of people conducting this unsafe behavior

In fiscal year 2005, more than 4.9 million low-income households received financial assistance with heating and cooking bills through the Low Income Home Energy Association Program (LIHEAP) A survey of 1,100 LIHEAP recipients found that roughly one-quarter used a kitchen stove or oven to provide heat in at least one month in the past year because of a lack of funds for the energy bill.* This translates to roughly 1.2 million of the households who receive this

financial assistance using a kitchen stove for heat in at least one month a year

The frequency of using a kitchen stove for heat varied by region For example, 34% of the respondents in the South reported using a stove or oven for heat in at least one month of the year compared to 26% in the West, 22% in the Northeast, and 18% in the Midwest

Non-confined home structure fires involving cooking equipment peak during the 5-7 pm period

Figure 2 compares the variation by time of day in home fires involving cooking equipment to the same variation for all home fires Both peak during the 5-8 pm period That three-hour period has a 13% share of the day’s hours but its share of home cooking fires is twice as large (26%) The 26% share of home cooking fires is also larger than that time period’s share (21%) of total home structure fires

Figure 2 Percentage of Home Structure Fires, by Alarm Time Fires Involving Cooking Equipment vs All Fires

3 - 4 a.m

4 - 5 a.m.

5 - 6

a.m.

6 - 7 a.m.

7 - 8

a.m.

8 - 9 a.m.

- 1 p.

m.

1 - 2 m.

2 - 3

p.m.

.

6 - 7 p.m.

7 - 8 p.

Midnight

Cooking equipment All fires

With regard to civilian fire deaths, the period from midnight to 6 am (representing 25% of the day’s hours) accounts for roughly the same share (28%) of civilian fire deaths involving home cooking equipment The 28% share is considerably smaller than the time period’s share (43%)

of civilian deaths in all home structure fires The risk of death in a home cooking equipment fire

is roughly the same during midnight to 6 am as during 6 pm to midnight (also 28%), slightly

lower than during 6 am to noon (32%), and much higher than during noon to 6 pm (12%)

Home fires involving cooking equipment are a holiday tradition, peaking on dates that are major U.S holidays with traditions of cooking

During 2005, the eight dates with the largest numbers of estimated reported home fires involving cooking equipment were nearly all dates associated with holidays Table E provides the details:

Table E Leading Dates for Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment

Structure Fires Reported to U.S Fire Departments (Including Fires Reported as Confined Fires)

Percent Above Average

November 20 (Sunday before Thanksgiving) 374 31%

* Orthodox Lent lasts seven weeks and includes food restrictions The day before would be the last day to have those foods for nearly two months

Source: Data from NFIRS and NFPA survey Note: See Note for Table 1

Older teens and adults up to age 44 have higher numbers of home cooking fire injuries relative to population but lower numbers relative to their involvement in cooking

Table 9 shows how the risk of home cooking fire injury looks different if assessed relative to population or relative to share of those who were cooking when a range fire began Older adults age 75 or older have high risk by either measure

Women have slightly higher numbers of home cooking fire injuries relative to population but much lower numbers relative to time spent in food preparation and clean-up

U.S women at least 15 years of age spend an average of 47.4 minutes a day on food preparation and clean-up in a typical day Men, on the other hand, spend an average of 15 minutes a day on these same tasks.* However, Figure 3 shows that in 2002-2005 males accounted for 58% of the

*Karen Hamrisk and Kristina J Shelley, “How much time do Americans spend preparing and eating food?”, Amber Waves,

home cooking fire deaths and 48% of cooking fire injuries Considering that men spend third of the time that women spend on food preparation and clean-up, the male risk from these fires is substantially higher

Also, 7% of civilian deaths in home structure fires involving cooking occurred as a result of injuries while fighting the fire, compared to 3% of deaths in any other type of home structure fire

While firefighting is often a cause of injury in home cooking fires, it is even more often

successful in quickly controlling the fire The ratio of 88 unreported home cooking fires (in the mid-1980s) for every reported home cooking fire (in 2005) is evidence of this success and is a much higher ratio than for other types of home fires (The ratio for other home fires combined is

41 unreported home fires in the mid-1980s for every reported home fire not involving cooking equipment in 2005.) If one uses 1984 reported fire to better match up with the year of the

unreported fires study, then the ratio of unreported to reported home structure fires was 99 for cooking fires and 21 for all other types of fires

Figure 4 Extinguishment Method Reported in CPSC Study

of Reported and Unreported Fires

Using tap water

Lid, blanket, etc.

Removed burning material

from heat

Cut off power to equipment

Source: Audits & Surveys, Inc., 1984 National Sample Survey of Unreported Residential Fires: Final Technical Report, Prepared for U.S

Consumer Product Safety Commission, Contract No C-83-1239, Princeton, NJ: Audits & Surveys, Inc., June 13, 1985

Each of these groups of methods can have problems or limitations:

• Cut off power to equipment – An excellent first step but insufficient by itself unless the cooking equipment provides a fairly tight enclosure (e.g., oven, microwave oven) that will smother the fire without further action

• Remove burning material from heat – Carrying burning material is clearly unsafe, and this action is even more dangerous if it involves opening the door to an oven or

microwave oven, which may result in a flare-up if opening the door adds oxygen to the fire

• Smothering the fire with a pot lid or blanket – Using a lid to smother a pan fire is the preferred safe, effective way to extinguish a stovetop fire Some other objects, like

blankets, may not fit tightly and so fail to smother the fire, may be awkward to maneuver and so risk moving the pan and spreading the fire, and may be combustible and so risk being ignited by the fire Fire blankets are more commonly recommended in Europe and Australia

• Use tap water as an extinguishing agent – This approach risks splattering and spreading a grease fire

• Use flour, baking soda, salt, or other substances as an extinguishing agent – This

approach can be ineffective because it is dangerous to get close enough to the fire to apply materials like this and it is difficult to achieve full coverage sufficient to smother the fire Also, some of these substances, such as flour, can be ignited

• Use a fire extinguisher – This approach can be effective but only if the right type of extinguisher (e.g., correct extinguishing agent, which would not be water; sufficient agent) is used under the right conditions (e.g., not when the pressure of the stream could dislodge the pan and spread the fire, not when the fire is growing rapidly or threatening

to cut off escape paths) Using a lid is safer

Home cooking fire rates relative to population have been comparable to the U.S in

Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan, but have been trending lower in the latest years

Table 10 shows statistics on cooking fires and associated losses in the three foreign countries Home cooking fires relative to population are now lower in Canada than in the U.S., given that the population of Canada is roughly one-ninth that of the U.S and Canada’s statistics include all buildings, not just homes

Home cooking fires relative to population are comparable to those in the United Kingdom

(U.K.), given that the population of the U.K is roughly one-fifth that of the U.S Trend analysis

in the U.K is complicated by changes in definition in 1994, which expanded the scope of

incidents and casualties included Home cooking fire injuries relative to population are higher in the U.K and were higher in the early 1990s before the changes were made In 2005, the incident rate was higher in the U.S., but this may reflect the impact of fires reported as confined fires Cooking fires relative to population are much lower in Japan than in the U.S Japan’s statistics include all structures, not just homes, but exclude cooking equipment other than the range The population ratio is roughly 2-to-1 for U.S.-to-Japan

Safety Tips

Choose the right cooking equipment Install and use it properly

• Always use cooking equipment tested and approved by a recognized testing facility

• Follow manufacturer’s instructions and code requirements when installing and operating cooking equipment

• Plug microwave ovens or other cooking appliances directly into an outlet Never use an extension cord for a cooking appliance as it can overload the circuit and cause a fire

Watch what you heat!

• The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove

• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the

Use equipment for intended purposes only

• Cook only with equipment designed and intended for cooking, and heat your home only with equipment designed and intended for heating There is additional danger of fire, injury, or death if equipment is used for a purpose for which it was not intended

Keep things that can catch fire and heat sources apart

• Keep anything that can catch fire – potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, boxes, food packaging, towels or curtains – away from your stovetop

• Keep the stovetop, burners and oven clean

• Keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner

• Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and can catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner

Know what to do if your clothes catch fire

• If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop, and roll Stop immediately, drop to the ground, and cover face with hands Roll over and over or back and forth to put out the fire

Immediately cool the burn with cool water for 3 to 5 minutes and seek emergency

medical treatment

Know what to do if you have a cooking fire

• When in doubt, just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire Call 911 or the local emergency number after you leave

• If you do try to fight the fire, be sure others are already getting out and you have a clear path to the exit

• Always keep an oven mitt and a lid nearby when you’re cooking If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan (make sure you are wearing the oven mitt) Turn off the burner Do not move the pan To keep the fire from restarting, leave the lid on until the pan is completely cool

• In case of an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing

• If you have a fire in your microwave oven, turn it off immediately and keep the door closed Never open the door until the fire is completely out Unplug the appliance if you can safely reach the outlet After a fire, both ovens and microwaves should be checked and/or serviced before being used again

Install and use microwave ovens safely

• Place or install the microwave oven at a safe height, within easy reach of all users The face of the person using the microwave oven should always be higher than the front of the microwave oven door This is to prevent hot food or liquid from spilling onto a user’s face or body from above and to prevent the microwave oven itself from falling onto a user

• Never use aluminum foil or metal objects in a microwave oven They can cause a fire and damage the oven

• Heat food only in containers or dishes that are safe for microwave use

• Open food containers slowly away from the face to avoid steam burns Hot steam escaping from the container or food can cause burns

• Foods heat unevenly in microwave ovens Stir and test before eating

Use barbecue grills safely

• Position the grill well away from siding, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches

• Place the grill a safe distance from lawn games, play areas and foot traffic

• Keep children and pets away from the grill area by declaring a three-foot “kid-free zone” around the grill

• Put out several long-handled grilling tools to give the chef plenty of clearance from heat and flames when cooking food

• Periodically remove grease or fat buildup in trays below grill so it cannot be ignited by a hot grill

• Use only outdoors! If used indoors, or in any enclosed spaces, such as tents, barbecue grills pose both a fire hazard and the risk of exposing occupants to carbon monoxide

Propane grills

• Check the propane cylinder hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year A light soap and water solution applied to the hose will quickly reveal escaping propane by releasing bubbles

• If you determined your grill has a gas leak by smell or the soapy bubbles test and there is

no flame:

¾ Turn off the propane tank and grill

¾ If the leak stops, get the grill serviced by a professional before using again

¾ If the leak does not stop, call the fire department

• If you smell gas while cooking, immediately get away from the grill and call the fire department Do not attempt to move the grill

• All propane cylinders manufactured after April 2002 must have overfill protection devices (OPDs) OPDs shut off the flow of propane before capacity is reached, limiting the potential for release of propane gas if the cylinder heats up OPDs are easily

identified by their triangular-shaped hand wheel

Table 1 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Year Structure Fires Reported to U.S Fire Departments

Note: Numbers in parentheses exclude confined fires Confined fires are fires reported as confined to chimney, flue, fuel burner,

or boiler and involving heating equipment; they are analyzed separately These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades National estimates are projections Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire Fires are rounded to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and civilian injuries are expressed to the nearest ten and property damage is rounded to the nearest million dollars Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment

involved in ignition unknown or reported as cooking or kitchen equipment of undetermined type Fires reported as “no

equipment” but lacking a confirming specific heat source (codes 40-99) are also treated as unknown equipment and allocated

Because of low participation in NFIRS Version 5.0 during 1999-2001, estimates for those years are highly uncertain and must be used with caution Inflation adjustment to 2005 dollars is done using the consumer price index

Table 2 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Factor Contributing to Ignition

Annual Average of 2002-2005 Structure Fires Reported to U.S Fire Departments

(Excluding Fires Reported as Confined Fires)

Civilian Civilian Direct Property

Equipment unattended 16,100 (38%) 197 (45%) 1,480 (46%) $268 (37%) Heat source too close to combustible 5,000 (12%) 76 (17%) 380 (12%) $89 (12%)

Unintentionally turned on or not 4,400 (10%) 52 (12%) 280 (9%) $134 (18%)

Unspecified short circuit arc 1,100 (3%) 0 (0%) 60 (2%) $17 (2%)

Unclassified operational deficiency 800 (2%) 17 (4%) 80 (2%) $31 (4%)

Equipment not being operated properly 700 (2%) 18 (4%) 70 (2%) $16 (2%)

Flammable liquid or gas spilled 500 (1%) 0 (0%) 80 (3%) $9 (1%) Improper container or storage 400 (1%) 0 (0%) 10 (0%) $3 (0%)

Equipment used for not intended purpose 400 (1%) 23 (5%) 20 (1%) $5 (1%)

Arc or spark from operating equipment 300 (1%) 6 (1%) 10 (0%) $4 (0%)

Automatic control failure 300 (1%) 0 (0%) 10 (0%) $4 (0%)

Short circuit arc from defective or worn 300 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $3 (0%)

insulation

Other known factor 2,100 (5%) 46 (10%)* 100 (3%) $38 (5%)

Total fires 42,700 (100%) 442 (100%) 3,260 (100%) $735 (100%) Total factor entries 46,300 (108%) 525 (119%) 3,550 (109%) $868 (118%)

* “Other known” includes playing with fire (9% of deaths)

Note: Multiple entries are allowed, resulting in more factor entries than fires These are national estimates of fires reported to

U.S municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades

National estimates are projections Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one

unusually serious fire Fires are rounded to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths to the nearest one, civilian injuries to the nearest

ten, and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars Damage has not been adjusted for inflation Figures reflect a

proportional share of home fire with equipment involved in ignition unknown or recorded as cooking or kitchen equipment of

undetermined type Fires reported as “no equipment” but lacking a confirming specific heat source (codes 40-99) are also treated

Table 3 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Human Factor Contributing to Ignition

Annual Average of 2002-2005 Structure Fires Reported to U.S Fire Departments

(Excluding Fires Reported as Confined Fires)

Civilian Civilian Direct Property Human Factor Fires Deaths Injuries Damage (in Millions)

Unattended or unsupervised person 11,300 (27%) 120 (27%) 940 (29%) $219 (30%)

Age was a factor 1,400 (3%) 98 (22%) 180 (5%) $27 (4%)

Possibly impaired by alcohol or drugs 1,000 (2%) 63 (14%) 190 (6%) $31 (4%)

Possibly mentally disabled 500 (1%) 17 (4%) 80 (2%) $8 (1%)

Multiple persons involved 300 (1%) 11 (3%) 20 (1%) $5 (1%)

Total fires 42,700 (100%) 442 (100%) 3,260 (100%) $735 (100%) Total human-factor entries 59,400 (139%) 689 (156%) 4,640 (142%) $996 (136%)

Note: Multiple entries are allowed, resulting in more factor entries than fires These are national estimates of fires reported to

U.S municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades

National estimates are projections Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one

unusually serious fire Fires are rounded to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths to the nearest one, civilian injuries to the nearest

ten, and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars Damage has not been adjusted for inflation Figures reflect a

proportional share of home fire with equipment involved in ignition unknown or recorded as cooking or kitchen equipment of

undetermined type Fires reported as “no equipment” but lacking a confirming specific heat source (codes 40-99) are also treated

as unknown equipment and allocated Home cooking fires with this equipment and human factor contributing to ignition listed

as unknown, unreported, or blank have also been allocated proportionally Totals may not equal sums because of rounding error

Source: Data from NFIRS Version 5.0 and NFPA survey

Table 4 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Item First Ignited Annual Average of 2002-2005 Structure Fires Reported to U.S Fire Departments

(Excluding Fires Reported as Confined Fires)

Civilian Civilian Direct Property Item First Ignited Fires Deaths Injuries Damage (in Millions)

Cooking materials 23,100 (54%) 175 (40%) 2,110 (65%) $318 (43%)

Appliance housing or casing 2,800 (7%) 37 (8%) 100 (3%) $40 (5%)

Flammable or combustible gas or liquid 2,100 (5%) 5 (1%) 170 (5%) $42 (6%)

Unclassified item first ignited 1,700 (4%) 16 (4%) 80 (3%) $19 (3%)

Wire or cable insulation 1,400 (3%) 5 (1%) 30 (1%) $12 (2%)

Interior wall covering 1,300 (3%) 43 (10%) 90 (3%) $38 (5%)

Exterior wall covering or finish 400 (1%) 11 (2%) 20 (1%) $19 (3%)

Structural member or framing 400 (1%) 5 (1%) 20 (1%) $38 (5%)

Unclassified furniture or utensil 400 (1%) 0 (0%) 10 (0%) $6 (1%)

Unclassified structural component 400 (1%) 0 (0%) 20 (1%) $22 (3%)

or finish

Linen other than bedding 300 (1%) 0 (0%) 40 (1%) $2 (0%)

Multiple items first ignited 300 (1%) 5 (1%) 10 (0%) $7 (1%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported

only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades National estimates are projections Casualty and loss

projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion of exclusion of one unusually serious fire Fires are rounded

to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths to the nearest one, civilian injuries to the nearest ten, and direct property

damage to the nearest million dollars Damage has not been adjusted for inflation Figures reflect a proportional

share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown or recorded as cooking or kitchen equipment of

undetermined type Fires reported as “no equipment” but lacking a confirming specific heat source (codes 40-99)

are also treated as unknown equipment and allocated Home cooking fires with this equipment and item first ignited

unknown have also been allocated proportionally Totals may not equal sums because of rounding

Source: Data from NFIRS Version 5.0 and NFPA survey

Table 5 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, by Area of Origin Annual Average of 2002-2005 Structure Fires Reported to U.S Fire Departments

(Excluding Fires Reported as Confined Fires)

Civilian Civilian Direct Property Area of Origin Fires Deaths Injuries Damage (in Millions)

Exterior balcony or unenclosed porch 600 (1%) 0 (0%) 50 (2%) $37 (5%)

Courtyard, terrace or patio 400 (1%) 0 (0%) 20 (1%) $20 (3%)

Exterior wall surface 200 (1%) 0 (0%) 10 (0%) $9 (1%)

Other known area of origin 1,500 (4%) 59 (13%)** 100 (3%) $60 (8%)

Total fires 42,700 (100%) 442 (100%) 3,260 (100%) $735 (100%)

* Does not include garage coded as separate property

** “Other known” includes unclassified function area (7% of deaths)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported

only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades National estimates are projections Casualty and loss

projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire Fires are rounded

to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths to the nearest one, civilian injuries to the nearest ten, and direct property

damage to the nearest million dollars Damage has not been adjusted for inflation Figures reflect a proportional

share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown or recorded as cooking or kitchen equipment of

undetermined type Fires reported as “no equipment” but lacking a confirming specific heat source (codes 40-99)

are also treated as unknown equipment and allocated Home cooking fires with this equipment and area of origin

unknown have also been allocated proportionally Totals may not equal sums because of rounding

Source: Data from NFIRS Version 5.0 and NFPA survey

Table 6 Trends in U.S Use of Primary Cooking Power Sources

Note: Sums may not equal totals because of rounding error Gas includes utility, bottled, tank and LP-gas

Source: U.S Bureau of the Census, Census of Housing, 1960, Vol 1; 1970 and 1980, Vo 1; Current Housing Reports, Series H-150-87, American Housing Survey; 1990 Census of Housing, Detailed Housing Characteristics, Series CH-2; and Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1994-2007 editions

Table 7 Comparative Risks of Gas Versus Electric Stoves

A Input Data

Average U.S Households Annual Average of 2002-2005 U.S Households U.S Home Structure Fires (Non-Confined or Confined) Using a Range With Involving Range or Stove With This Power

This Power Civilian Civilian Direct Property Power (in Millions) Fires Deaths Injuries Damage (in Millions)

Note: Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten, and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars Direct

property damage has not been adjusted for inflation Usage statistics are published only for odd-numbered years Therefore, in this analysis, 2002 usage is

estimated as the average of 2001 and 2003 usage, and 2004 usage is estimated as the average of 2003 and 2005 usage

Source: Data from NFIRS Version 5.0 and NFPA survey; Statistical Abstract of the United States 2007, Table 964, Washington: U.S Department of

Commerce, 2007

B Comparative U.S Risk Relative to Usage

Fires per Civilian Deaths Civilian Injuries Direct Property Million per Million per Million Damage per Power Households Households Households Household

Source: Calculations based on Table 7A above