Boston is one of the cities with the highest fire risk
The latest edition of The Hartford Home Fire Index ranks Boston as the city with the third highest fire risk in the country.
Using the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System (“NFIRS”), The Hartford created the index by analyzing that data along with conducting an additional survey on its own regarding fire safety and fire prevention behaviors among the general population. The result is the index which ranks the 100 U.S. Cities with the greatest fire risk.
Claiming the top spot on the list was Detroit, Michigan, followed by Shreveport, Louisiana and then Boston. Flint, Michigan and Richmond, Virginia rounded out the top five. The following is a screenshot of the complete list:
Other sobering facts from The Index
According to the Connecticut–based insurer, every 86 seconds a home fire is reported somewhere in the U.S. with 33 percent of all fires in the home started by children with ages between 6-9. In the Northeast, heating-related fires were the causes most cited in The Hartford’s Claims Data.
Other findings include:
Overall fires in Massachusetts were up 7% in 2015
The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services also collects data on fires across the Commonwealth. This agency reported, for calendar year 2015, there were 31,302 fires in Massachusetts causing $258 Million in Property Damage.
The 2015 number represents a 7% increase in reported fires from the year 2014. As a result of those 31,302 fires, there were 62 civilian deaths, 293 Civilian Injuries, and 465 Fire Service Injuries. Of the total number of reported fires, 783 were reported as arson. The following a list of the main causes of residential structure fire deaths in the Commonwealth:
The Index is part of The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal Program
The annual Hartford Fire Index is published in conjunction with the The Hartford Fire Marshal Program that celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Founded in 1947 by a Hartford employee,the Junior Fire Marshal program is one of the country’s oldest corporate sponsored public education programs which aims to teach children the basics of “personal fire safety and give families the information they need to be prepared in a fire emergency.”
Over 110 million U.S. children have been deputized as Junior Fire Marshals over the years, with many notable people such as former President Kennedy, Dick Van Dyke, Ron Howard, and former President Ronald Reagan recognizing children who have participated in the program.
“Since The Hartford’s beginning as a fire insurance company more than 200 years ago, we have been committed to fire prevention and safety,” said The Hartford’s Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift. “We are proud of our heritage and the legacy of the Junior Fire Marshal program, but there is still more we can do to help build safer communities. Home fires continue to be an issue today. Our goal is to empower everyday kids to become everyday heroes by providing them with the tools and training to reduce fire risk in their homes and be safe.”
In honor of its 70th year, The Hartford has announced that it will be donating $2 million dollars both to local school districts and fire departments to develop their fire safety education programs. In addition, the insurer plans to donate additional educational materials to approximately 1.5 million children from kindergarten through third grade in the 100 U.S. cities identified in this year’s index.
Agents interested in promoting the Junior Fire Marshal Program can find more information here.
