Spotlight on Fire Safety
Older Adults
People over the age of 65 are the fastest growing segment of the American population. Each year more than 1,000 Americans aged 65 years and older die in home fires and more than 2,000 are injured. The leading cause of fire deaths is from fires started by careless smoking, while cooking fires are the leading cause of injuries from fire.
The aging process leaves a person vulnerable to a variety of unintentional injuries. To combat this problem in the area of fire-related injuries, USFA has developed targeted materials to provide fire safety and prevention information to people over 65 and those who may help care for people over 65. The best fire prevention is fire education!
Fire Facts: Older Adults
- The relative risk of individuals aged 65+ dying in a fire is 2.5 times greater than the general population. The risk worsens as age increases: the risk is 1.8 for adults aged 65–74, but soars to 4.6 for those over age 84.
- Smoking fires are the leading cause of fatalities among the elderly; cooking fires are the leading cause of injuries.
- Older Native Americans and African Americans are at much greater risk of dying in a fire than the older white population.
- Older males are 50% more likely to die in fires than women.
- The elderly are more vulnerable in a fire than the general population due to a combination of factors: mental and physical frailties, higher alcohol usage, greater use of medications, higher smoking incidence, and elevated likelihood of living in a poverty situation.
Fire Prevention Campaign Materials
For the Media:
Seniors and Fire
(life-saving tips to incorporate into news stories)
- Fire Safety Campaign for People 50+
- Fire Safety Lasts a Lifetime: A Fact Sheet for Older Adults and Their Caregivers
- Let’s Retire Fire: A Fact Sheet for Older Americans
Adobe Acrobat (PDF)/Other Help
Download
Fire Risks Series
Fire Risks for the Blind or Visually Impaired (PDF, 315 Kb)- Fire Risks for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing (PDF, 308 Kb)
- Fire Risks for the Mobility Impaired (PDF, 376 Kb)
- Fire Risks for the Older Adult (PDF, 882 Kb)
Reports
- Fire and the Older Adult (PDF, 792 Kb)
- Fires Involving Medical Oxygen Equipment (PDF, 2 Mb)
- Residential Fires and Older Adult Casualties (PDF, 395 Kb)
- The Fire Risk to Older Adults (PDF, 440 Kb)
Related Topics
Links of Interest
- Home Safety Council Fire Safety for Older Adults Program
- National Fire Protection Association: Remembering When - A Fire and Fall Prevention Campaign for Older Adults
Last Reviewed: February 1, 2008
U.S. Fire Administration, 16825 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727
(301) 447-1000 Fax: (301) 447-1346 Admissions Fax: (301) 447-1441