All statistics reflect NFPA's latest available data - 1997 for Canada, 1998 for U.S. detailed patterns, 2000 for U.S. overall statistics:

• A home fire is reported to a fire department in the United States roughly every 1-1/2 minutes.
• A home fire is reported to a fire department in Canada roughly every 30 minutes.
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Because fire can grow and spread so quickly, having working smoke alarms in your home can mean the difference between life and death. Once the alarm sounds, you may have as few as two minutes to escape. Smoke alarms are the most effective early warning devices available. Just having a smoke alarm in your home cuts your chance of dying in a fire nearly in half.

You can reduce your risk even more by learning how to effectively use the smoke alarm's early warning to get out safely. Automatic home fire sprinklers reduce your risk of dying in a home fire even more.

These Families had a Plan - and it Saved Their Lives...

Fire safety education saves lives! To date, 664 life "Saves" have been credited to NFPA's educational programs, including the Fire Prevention Week campaign, "Fire Drills: The Great Escape!" (1998-2000) which educated children and families about the importance of developing and practicing home escape plans, and Risk Watch®, a comprehensive injury prevention program for children in preschool through grade eight.

Following are just a few case histories of actual incidents in which the knowledge gained about home escape planning through NFPA programs has been put into action.

In dwellings, getting out quickly can mean the difference between life and death.

Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as two minutes to escape safely. Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms, and advance planning—a home fire escape plan that everyone in your family is familiar with and has practiced.

NFPA wants to teach families and kids how to keep cooking fires from starting in the first place. Here are some fast facts and safety tips about cooking fires.

• Between 1999-2002, there were 114,000 reported home fires associated with cooking equipment on average per year, resulting in an annual 290 deaths and 4,380 injuries.
• Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires.
• Three in 10 reported home fires start in the kitchen -- more than any other place in the home.
• Two out of three reported home cooking fires start with the range or stove.
• Electric ranges or stoves have a higher risk of fires, injuries and property damage, compared to gas ranges or stoves, but gas ranges or stoves have a higher risk of fire deaths.