Some sobering statistics crossed our desks this week: 15% of home fire deaths from 2003-2006 involved possible impairment by alcohol or drugs, according to the National Fire Protection Association. That’s about 430 lives lost per year. A startling 45% of those deaths were in fires started by cigarettes or other smoking materials.
If there are takeaway lessons from these sad facts, they are: Don’t ever smoke in your home and consider having your smoke detectors hooked up to a monitored alarm system. Even if you are impaired and not able to react to it going off, your alarm company will get the emergency signal and send help right away. These deaths are preventable, so prepare yourself and be careful out there, folks.
