Facts on Fires

A home fire starts somewhere in this country every 82 seconds and doubles in intensity every 30 seconds.
Fire injures or kills over 40,000 children each year in the United States.
Each year, fire kills more Americans than all natural disasters combined.
Fires are the third leading cause of accidental death in the home: at least 80 percent of all fire deaths occur in residences.
Smoke alarms either were not present or did not operate in 75% of these residences.
Most fatalities from fire occur between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. -- while most people are asleep. Smoke from a fire in the home can and will kill quickly and silently without adequate smoke alarms.

(statistics from United States Fire Administration web site)