Fire and the Older Adult

In the summer of 2004, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) launched its most comprehensive and intensive public fire education campaign for elderly Americans. A FIRE SAFETY CAMPAIGN FOR PEOPLE 50-PLUS provides detailed fire prevention information to assist fire departments and other USFA partners in mitigating the risk of fire fatalities and injuries among the 50 and over population. This report, Fire and the Older Adult, analyzes the fire risk to persons aged 65 and older as a complement to that campaign. The report provides an extensive review of the fire situation for older adults in the United States and evaluates fire risk factors and risks of fire injury and fatality among that population group. On average, more than 1,000 Americans aged 65 years and older die each year in home fires and more than 2,000 are injured. In 2001 alone, 1,250 older adults died as the result of fire incidents. Moreover, the elderly are 2.5 times more likely to die in a residential fire than the rest of the population. With the U.S. Census Bureau predicting that increases in the senior population will continue to outpace increases in the overall population, the elderly fire problem will undoubtedly grow in importance. After offering an overview of the U.S. demographics of the 65 and older population, this report discusses how physical, emotional, social, economic, and residential factors have unique impacts on seniors.