Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

An analysis has been made of reports of incidents attended by Fire Brigades during 1960, in which fatal casualties occurred. Of the total of 529 fatalities reported, 75 were incidents resulting from smoking materials. Incidents in which there was ignition of clothing while being worn resulted in 122 fatalities, and those in which bedding was ignited caused 64 deaths. There were 65 fatalities among children under 5 years old, and 206 among persons over 65 years of age. About 74 per cent of fatal casualties occurred in private houses and flats, about 18 per cent in other buildings and the rest out of doors. Two hundred and eighty three fatal casualties occurred in fires which were confined to the room of origin, and two hundred and forty six in fires which spread beyond the room of origin. It can be seen, therefore, that a large proportion of fatalities was associated with fires in which material damage was relatively small. Among the 65 fatalities among children under 5 years old, at least 10 were alone at the time of the fire, and in the group of 206 casualties among persons over 65 years old, at least 17 were alone at the time of the fire.