Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

An analysis has been made of reports of incidents attended by Fire Brigades during 1953 in which fatal casualties occurred. Of the total of 464 fatalities reported, 143 resulted from the ignition of personal clothing while being worn and 108 of the casualties in this group were female. Incidents in which bedding was first ignited caused 38 deaths; 20 of these were caused by smokers materials and matches, and 16 by heating apparatus placed too close to the bed. Ninety-one fatal casualties were due to aircraft crashes, 27 of which occurred in one civil aircraft accident. There were 39 fatalities among children under 5 years old, and 196 among persons over 60 years old. In the latter group 110 deaths were due to the ignition of personal clothing while being worn; 81 of these fatalities were female. About 60 per cent of the total fatal casualties occurred in private houses and flats, and 28 per cent in the open. Two hundred and fifty-two casualties occurred in fires that were confined to the room of origin and in 103 of these the fire was confined to personal clothing. Eighty-two fatal casualties occurred in fires that spread beyond the room of origin.