National Fire Data Center has released their figures and data pointing out that older adults are indeed at risk when there’s fire. The staggering numbers do say it all! See full report here.
It was found out that at age 65, a senior doubles his or her risk of dying in a home fire and triples it when he reaches the age of 75. Sad facts but true, but what’s clear and evident in this study is seniors are never safe even in their own homes. This is especially true for those who have limited range of motion or those who are no longer capable of caring for themselves.
Some of the reasons why fires occur in a senior’s home were pointed out in their report. These are: smoking, ignited furniture or bedding, and cooking. If we are to connect the dots in this report, it’s fairly easy to see that it all boils down to carelessness. Either that, or memory gap, choose your pick. As to the reason why most seniors with homes afire never made it out alive is partly blamed to the “unpreparedness” of the victim.
If “don’t play with fire” works for children, we seniors should also heed the call, that is if we aim to live longer lives and not be burnt to a crisp! Reaching a certain age when we feel we are easily distracted and forget activities soon after we are engaged in the next one should make us realize that fire and flames instantly become a threat not only to our lives but also to our families. Be aware of your movements when starting a fire, never leave it blazing and kill it off as soon as you’re ready to move on to your next chore will help you tremendously in avoiding fires. Here are some tips on how to fight off the fire risk:
·    Always keep your emergency kit near you. When going to bed, put it right beside you where you can easily grab it on your way out. Your emergency kit should include:  your glasses and flashlight, medications, etc..
·    Avoid smoking while in a position that is prone to you falling asleep i.e lying down. It was found out that cigarettes are the common cause of an ignited furniture or bedding, with the senior on top of it!
·    NEVER, NEVER leave a stove or even the oven open. If you need to go out of the kitchen, turn everything off or yell for someone to watch it for you. No ifs, no buts!
·    Install fire detectors especially to areas that are considered as high-risk.
·    Have a water sprinkle attached with the fire detector so it could easily put the fire down while manageable.