USFA Releases Report on Hotel and Motel Fires

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As part of their Topical Fire Report Series, the Department of Homeland's Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a special report examining the cause and characteristics of fires in hotels and motels. "Hotel and Motel Fires" was developed by the National Fire Data Center, part of FEMA's U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). An estimated average of 3,900 fires occur in hotels and motels, a subset of residential buildings, according to a news release from the USFA. An estimated 15 deaths, 150 civilian injuries and $76 million in property loss are linked to these fires annually.

Cooking, electrical malfunctions, and heating are the leading cause of hotel and motel fires, according to the Administration. Ninety-seven percent of cooking fires are confined to the container where they started and result in limited damage. Seventy-three percent of all fires are confined to the object of origin and 18 percent are confined to the room of origin, while 9 percent of fires extend beyond the room of origin, according to the report. The number of fires are a little higher during winter months with heaters responsible for some fires, according to the USFA.

Information in this topical report is based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and may suggest other resources to consider for further information. "Hotel and Motel Fires" is available at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/tfrs/v10i4.pdf.


Author:Barbara Brooks - FDNNTV.com