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Fire Problem in the USA
Allison Hunter
FSMT
May 31, 2024
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Fire Problem in the USA
The historical progression of the fire problem in the United States of America
Fire has been a great plague in the American cities for centuries. The great fire of Boston
occurred during the 18th century, specifically in the 1760s (Alexander, 2020). other fire incidents
that followed during the century included the first Great Fire of New York City and the Great
New Orleans Fire, which occurred in 1788 and 1796, respectively (Alexander, 2020). These fire
incidents brought down many building structures, challenging the municipal authorities to
establish fire safety measures in risky environments. Various factors came into play during the
19th century, further increasing the fire incidents in the nation. That is, rapid urbanization,
increased rate of commercialization, and the rise of industrial capitalism that marked the
beginning of the 19th century led to fires becoming more frequent and destructive in the
USA(Alexander, 2020). However, the United States of America has initiated various initiatives to
reduce fire outbreaks throughout the centuries, including the emergence of volunteer fire
companies in all cities within the United States of America. In addition, fire insurance became
more robust, helping economic recovery post-fire incidents. However, despite these great efforts,
the fire continued to become a significant challenge in the USA towards the end of the 19 th
century, with the increase in the population in the cities (Alexander, 2020). Chicago, Boston, and
Seattle are some American cities that experienced fire towards the end of the 19 th century, in
1871, 1872 and 1889 respectively (Alexander, 2020).
The fire incidents did not only interfere with the building but also took away human lives,
thereby unearthing deeply rooted social tensions. Inequalities and divisions within the cities are
social issues that have emerged in the United States of America over time due to fire outbreaks.
It is, however, noteworthy that these inequalities arise from rebuilding in the aftermath of fire
incidents. During the early 1920s, fire incidents were reduced in American cities due to the
robust mitigations that were put in place (Alexander, 2020). Suburban sprawl is an issue that
emerged a few decades ago but has initiated an exurban fire regime that has led to a great
collision between wildlife and the cities. In addition, other factors such as extreme weather
events and the overdependence on fossil fuels have placed the United States of American cities at
risk of fire outbreaks (Alexander, 2020). However, the metropolitan parts of the cities are
particularly at risk of experiencing more significant fires than those during the 19th and 20th
centuries because of the deregulation of hazardous companies and the lack of safer and relatively
cheaper house units (Alexander, 2020).
Factors that explain the disparity between high aggregate costs of fire for the nation
and lower perceptions of fire risks and costs
Data sources reveal that fire accidents and the associated fatalities in the USA are
shocking. In 2014, the country experienced an average of 1,298,000 fire incidents, leading to the
death of over 3275 civilians and 64 firefighters (Balch et al., 2020). The financial costs of these
fire incidents are staggering as the government spent over $11.5 million catering for the property
damages and other associated compensations (Balch et al., 2020). Historically, the USA has
experienced the highest number of fire incidents. A pattern of reaction and inaction exists, which
have their basis in the mindset regarding combating fire. The insurance industries spearhead
proactive fire prevention and education efforts in the US, representing the high aggregate cost of
fire notion.
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On the other hand, the public fraternity perceives fire prevention as a notion and concept
meant for commercial buildings and other public amenities, lowering perceptions of fire risks
and costs. As a result of such a low perception of cost and risks, the public needs to acknowledge
the existing fire prevention and education programs; instead, they consider such factors the
responsibilities of commercial building owners. Amidst the higher national and state expenditure
on fire prevention, the public perception of fire risks and costs remains low. However, 50.8% of
fire incidents in the United States of America emerge from cooking processes within households,
while 6.4% have emerged from individuals' careless handling of different sources of fire (Balch
et al., 2020).
The structure of the firefighting department in the country is a factor explaining this
disparity (Balch et al., 2020). Currently, the United States Fire Department is structured and
organized in a paramilitary manner, where they are not only sworn but are also uniformed
department members, and the structure increases the chances of complacency among civilians.
Public responsibility is at risk of being reduced once individuals know that a fully-fledged
department is responsible for fire incidents. In addition, there needs to be more awareness, and
great ignorance leads to this disparity. The ignorance regarding education and fire preventive
measures among the public explains the disparity because, according to the public, someone else
should take on fire responsibilities. The National Fire Prevention Authority (NFPA) has also
enhanced this disparity by failing to emphasize the importance of strictly following fire safety
techniques.
Ramifications of ignoring fire prevention and education
Low levels of fire education prevention exist in the United States of America despite the
probable damages that fire has caused. Ignoring fire prevention education would result in a
general upsurge in nationwide risks of fire accidents because if individuals do not take
precautions, incidents of fire accidents increase. The probability of fire accidents is only reduced
if individuals utilize fire prevention education programs, thereby creating awareness in society
(Balch et al., 2020). A high rate of property destruction and loss of life in case of a fire outbreak
is another consequence of ignoring fire prevention education. Fire prevention and education are
essential in increasing awareness of different classes of fire and the best techniques for putting
them out. Lack of education increases the chances of individuals utilizing the wrong methods of
putting the fire out, worsening the scenarios. Finally, individuals need to pay more attention to
fire prevention and education to understand where fire extinguishers should be placed in a
building. Hence, in case of a fire outbreak, individuals without proper fire prevention education
can easily lock others inside the building so that the rescue team may experience difficulty in the
operation.
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References
Alexander, A. R. (2020). The Problem of Fire in the American City, 1750–Present. In Oxford
Research Encyclopedia of American History.
[Link]
/acrefore-9780199329175-e-875
Balch, J. K., St. Denis, L. A., Mahood, A. L., Mietkiewicz, N. P., Williams, T. M., McGlinchy, J.,
& Cook, M. C. (2020). FIRED (Fire Events Delineation): an open, flexible algorithm and
database of US fire events derived from the MODIS burned area product (2001–
2019). Remote Sensing, 12(21), 3498. [Link]