Ohio Injuries: Fires

Almost 150 Ohioans die every year as a result of fire-related injuries, and approximately 92% of these deaths occur in the home. Non-fatal injuries due to fires have considerable long-term medical and economic consequences. Increased efforts to prevent fires and fire-related injuries are necessary to make Ohioans safer. The following data come from the Injury in Ohio report.*

Health Care Resource Utilization

• From 2005 through 2007, injuries due to fires resulted in an annual average of:
  • 16,376 Emergency Department Visits
  • 1,666 EMS Runs
  • 963 Inpatient Hospitalizations
  • 146 Fatalities

• The number of emergency department visits for fire-related injuries increased 13.5% from 2005 to 2007The three age groups accounting for the most emergency department visits for a  fire-related injury are:

• 57.0% of EMS runs for fire-related injuries occurred among adults ages 25-64 years
• The majority (73.9%) of fire-related injuries requiring an EMS run occurred in the home

Hospitalizations

• Fire-related hospitalizations in 2005-2007 accounted for an annual average of:
  • $28.3 million in hospital charges
  • 6,049 days of hospitalization  
• Mean length of stay was 6.3 days

• Males experienced slightly higher mean hospital charges ($30,846) and mean length of stay (6.4 days) than females ($27,048 and 6.0 days, respectively)

• The number of inpatient hospitalizations due to fires-related injuries increased 20.3% from 2005 to 2007
• The three age groups accounting for the highest annual average percentage of inpatient hospitalizations due to fire-related injuries are as follows:

• 92.6% of fire-related injuries requiring inpatient hospitalization were unintentional in nature
• 85.4% of inpatients were discharged home following treatment

 Fatalities    

• 56.5% of fire-related injury deaths were males
• Adults ages 25-64 years accounted for 42.4% of deaths, followed by adults ages 65 years or older with 31.2%
• Of those with a recorded location of injury, 91.7% of fire-related deaths occurred in the home

*Data for this report were obtained from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio Hospital Association and the Ohio Department of Health. This research brief is part of a series reporting on leading causes of injury among selected age groups in Ohio.