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Fire Facts
- There are huge indirect costs of fire, including; temporary lodging, lost business, medical expenses, psychological damage, and others. These indirect costs may be as much as 8 to 10 times higher than the direct costs of a fire.
Source: U.S. Fire Administration / National Fire Data Center
- Over 75% of companies that experience a serious fire go out of business, either directly as a result of the fire or within 3 years of reopening.
The damage that a fire can cause to a business cannot be over estimated. The visible signs of a burnt out building and ruined inventory is only half the story. There is also the consequential losses from business interruption, laying off employees and the customers who are forced to turn to alternative suppliers and never return. Insurance may help to soften the blow, but most businesses do not recover.
Source: Fire Protection Group
- Fire kills more Americans than all natural disasters combined. Every year more than 5,000 people die in fires, over 25,000 are injured and direct property loss is estimated at over $9 billion.
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Fire is Fast: When fire breaks out, it may take just three minutes to go from tiny flame to a raging, all consuming inferno. This is due to "flashover." Flashover occurs when the air becomes hot enough to ignite every combustible object in a room.
- Fire is Hot: As frightening as flames are, you may face greater danger from a fire's intense heat that can sear lungs and fuse clothing to skin.
- Heat Rises: In a fire, temperatures can vary from 90 degrees Fahrenheit near the floor to a lethal 600 degrees at eye level.
- Smoke Can Kill: Fire can fill your facility with thick, black, blinding smoke. Smoke contains toxic gases that can kill within minutes. This is especially hazardous to vulnerable residents. Carbon Monoxide poisoning causes 75 percent of all fire deaths. Smoke rises to the ceiling, forming a defense cloud that slowly descends. Beneath it you can still see - and breathe.
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