Detroit No. 1 For Home Fire Risk, New Study Shows

DETROIT, MI — The risk of a fire in Detroit is greater than in any of the 100 cities ranked in a new study released Thursday by The Hartford insurance company. Flint ranked fourth on The Hartford Home Fire Index.

The Index is based on an analysis of the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System and a survey conducted by The Hartford on fire safety and prevention behaviors among the general population.

A home fire is reported in the United States every 86 seconds, and 33 percent of home fires are started by children 6-9 years old, according to a news release.

Residents may not even realize their behavior is risky. For example, charging a phone overnight is considerate a moderate risk, yet charging a phone overnight on your bed is considered a high risk.

In Detroit, the top causes of fires were electrical (38 percent, compared with 26 percent nationally), cooking/their stove (21 percent, compared with 25 percent nationally) and candles (12 percent, mirroring the national figures).

Also in Detroit:

• 44 percent said they had charged their cell phones, tablets or laptop computers in or on their bed overnight, compared with 34 percent nationally;
• 56 percent said that in the past year, they have left the kitchen while cooking something on the stove, compared with 58 percent nationally;
• 42 percent said they have left a room with a candle lit at least once over the past year, compared with 37 percent nationally; and
• 18 percent said they have experienced a home fire, compared with 13 percent nationally.

As part of the 70th anniversary of its Junior Fire Marshal education program, the insurer is donating $2 million to help educate 1.5 million on fire prevention and safety in the 100 cities with the highest risk of a home fire, as identified by the survey, according to a news release. Of that amount, the Detroit and Flint school districts and the Detroit and Flint fire departments each will receive $10,000 to support fire safety education and behavior initiatives.

The Hartford Junior Fire Marshal classroom kit comes with The Hartford’s signature red fire helmets, an educator and parent guide, and coloring posters designed to introduce fire safety concepts to children.

A home fire is reported in the United States every 86 seconds, and 33 percent of home fires are started by children 6-9 years old, according to the news release.

The Top 10 cities with the highest risk of a home fire are:

1. Detroit, Michigan
2. Shreveport, Louisiana
3. Boston, Massachusetts
4. Flint, Michigan
5. Richmond, Virginia
6. Trenton, New Jersey
7. St. Louis, Missouri
8. Tallahassee, Florida
9. Memphis, Tennessee
10. Augusta, Georgia

The full list is found here. More about the Junior Fire Marshal program is found here.

Photo by Sam Beebe via Flickr Commons