Fatal Fires in Western Australia2001–2006

This report presents data to provide stakeholders with an overview into the origin and cause

of fatal fires in Western Australia (WA). It compares historical national and local information to

assist in protecting the WA population through assessment and further development of fire

safety initiatives within the built environment.

June 2010Fire Investigation and Analysis UnitFire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia

GOVERNMENT OFWESTERN AUSTRALIA

GOVERNMENT OFWESTERN AUSTRALIA

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Acknowledgments: The FESA Fire Investigation and Analysis Unit (FIAU) would like to acknowledge:

• The firefighters of Western Australia for the professional manner in which they perform their duties and the care they take in preserving fire scenes so that effective investigations can be carried out.

• The Western Australia Police Arson Squad for their assistance in fatal fire investigations.

• The Western Australian Coroner’s Office for making the findings of investigations available.

• The Fire Investigation Officers who have assisted with the compilation of data. For further information: Manager Fire Investigation and Analysis Unit Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA) 5th Floor, 480 Hay Street Perth WA 6000 (08) 93239300 fio@fesa.wa.gov.au Compiled by Station Officer John Haddon

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Contents:

Abstract 4 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 5 Annual Fire Fatality Rates 6 When Do Fatal Fires Occur? 8 Ignition Sources 11 Area of Origin 13 Age and Gender of Victims 14 Smoke Alarm Protection 17 Summary 19 Appendix A (includes table of fatalities to May 2009) 20 Snap shot of data 2001 – 2006 21

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Fatal Fires in Western Australia 2001- 2006

Abstract This report presents data to provide stakeholders with an overview into the origin and cause of fatal fires in Western Australia (WA). It compares historical national and local information to assist in protecting the WA population through assessment and further development of fire safety initiatives within the built environment.

Executive Summary There have been 33 fire related deaths within WA from January 2001 until December 2006. These fatalities have occurred during 30 different fire incidents, 3 being double fatalities. These have been marked throughout the report by an asterisk (*). In the metropolitan area 23 fatal fires occurred while 7 fires, including one double fatality, were within regional WA. Fatal fires in WA occur throughout the year and historically peak in the month of August. These fires also occur at all times of the day or night but are more prevalent in the early hours of the morning with 33% occurring between the hours of 0000 - 0400. In this review it was found that there were a disproportionate percentage of male fatalities against females with a ratio of 2:1. Particular population age groups displayed higher than average fatality rates compared to State age demographics. Over the six year study period, WA has recorded an average annual fatality rate of 5.5, slightly higher than the 15 year WA annual average of 5.2. Between 1992 and 1997 prior to smoke alarm legislation being introduced in WA, the average annual fatality rate was 5.8. However, since the introduction of this legislation and FESA’s associated ongoing campaign promoting the importance of working smoke alarms, there has been a reduction to 4.8 fatalities annually. (Note: These results may be biased due to the particularly low number of fatal fires that occurred in 1999). Fatal fires originated mainly in the bedroom or lounge room (40% and 33% respectfully). Only 30% of the residences had smoke alarms fitted and of these 70% operated as designed. Residents from non English speaking backgrounds have a disproportionate number of fatalities compared to their population demographics. It is important to note that 60% of the 33 fatalities were affected by drugs and/or alcohol.

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Introduction This report examines fatal fires which occurred in WA. The analysis summarises data and information collated from the Fire Incident Reporting System (FIRS) completed by attending officers from the Fire and Rescue Service1, information gathered through formal fire investigation carried out by FESA Fire Investigation and Analysis Unit (FIAU) in conjunction with the Western Australia Police (WAPOL) Arson Squad and from reports provided to FIAU by the Western Australian Coroner’s Office. This report predominantly deals with structure fires throughout WA that have caused a fire related fatality but exclude proven incidents of murder or suicide as FESA believes little can be done within its area of responsibility to assist the prevention of these tragic events. Additionally, potential fire related fatalities that have occurred in aircraft, vehicles, industrial sites, open fields or during wildfires have not been included in the statistics, however, fire deaths occurring from these activities are listed as a summary at the conclusion of the report (Appendix A). National comparison data has been taken primarily from Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) ‘Who’s at Risk Report’, May 2005 (WaR) and South Australia’s ‘Identifying Communities Vulnerable to Structure Fires and Emergencies Project August 2007’, whilst population demographics have been sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Due to the relatively small number of fire related fatalities in WA, minimal statistical analysis has been carried out but has been collated to represent six year totals. Where appropriate, further comparison has been made against an incomplete2 15 year data set comprising 78 fatalities. This has been done to assist with the identification of any trends and for the comparison of results against national data. Although all care has been taken in the collection and analysis of data, it is acknowledged this report may not include all fatalities. Omissions may occur when FESA personnel do not attend due to the remote location, lack of notification from other agencies, or if a person subsequently dies from injuries received during a fire. Additionally, accurate fire cause determination can only be achieved if all information is provided to the investigation team. Due to the extent of damage or lack of witness information, undetermined fire cause findings do occur.

1 Fire and Rescue Service is a service arm of the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA). 2 The historical dataset is incomplete or may include fatalities that should not be classified as a fire related death due to different data collection methods carried out by Fire and Rescue Service of WA and prior to partnering agreements being initiated.

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Annual Fire Fatality Rates The average WA annual fire fatality rate between 2001 and 2006 is 5.5, similar to the 15 year average of 5.2. The period immediately following the introduction of the Smoke Alarm Legislation in 1997-98 showed a drop in the number of fatalities occurring but then returned to a cyclic, if not random, occurrence. The drop in fatalities during 1999 may also be attributed to the reduction in usage of home heating due to higher than average minimum temperatures experienced by WA during that year (Bureau of Meteorology). FESA’s community safety initiatives have centred on the ‘Smoke Alarm Awareness Program’ that complemented the Smoke Alarm Legislation introduced in 1997-98. These initiatives appear to have made a positive but inconclusive impact on the number of fire related fatalities occurring in WA, as the average annual number of fatalities that occurred during that period was 4.8. Unfortunately, the anomaly of a high incidence of fatal fires in 2003 and a low number in 1999 has made a significant effect on observed trends. The trend line displayed in figure 1 (y = -0.043x + 5.54) illustrates the decline (negative x value) in fatal fires over a 15 year period, but displays a very weak correlation3 (R2 = 0.0067). Using the individual datasets in isolation, there has been a decline in the period 2001– 2006 (y = -0.6x + 7.6), but since smoke alarm legislation was introduced in 1998 there has been an increase (positive x value) in the fatality trend rate (y = +0.15x + 4.03). To hypothesise about the effectiveness of the legislation or more recent trends would be difficult due to the weak linear relationships of both trend lines, R2 = 0.188 and R2 = 0.0296 respectfully, the population growth4 and the generally low number of fatalities in WA fires.

3 The correlation coefficient, denoted by R2, is a measure of the strength of the straight line or linear relationship between two variables. The correlation coefficient takes on values ranging between +1 and -1. The following points are the accepted guidelines for interpreting the correlation coefficient:

• 0 indicates no linear relationship. • +1 indicates a perfect positive linear relationship. • Values between 0 and 0.3 indicate a weak linear relationship. • Values between 0.7 and 1 indicate a strong linear relationship.

4 Over the last decade, the average rate of population growth in WA has been 1.5% pa (www.abs.gov.au).

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Figure 1: Annual number of fire related fatalities 1992–2006. Trend lines for both the 1998–2006 (since the introduction of smoke alarm legislation) and 2001–2006 have also been included. (Note: Data from 1992–2000 may be incomplete or include a small number of fatalities that should not be classified as a fire related death). The annual fatality rate per 100,000 of population in WA compares favourably against the national statistics, with WA averaging over the past 15 years an annual rate of 0.286 compared to the national average of 0.633 per 100,000 of population (figure 2). This shows that since 1992 the annual fatality rate in WA is only 46% of the national rate. Even though WA’s fatality rate is considerably lower than the national average, WA firefighters still encounter at least 50 structure fire related injuries each year, each of which has the potential for a fatal outcome. WA’s annual fatality rate not only compares favourably with national data, but the trend line equations and correlation coefficients show that the national fatality rate is increasing (y = 0.007x +0.58, R2 = 0.146), whilst the WA rate is decreasing (y = -0.004x + 0.321, R2 = 0.022).

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Figure 2: Comparison of the WA and national annual fatality rates per 100,000 of population. The annual average for WA is 0.28 and the national average is 0.63 per 100,000 population. National data 1999-2005 sourced from (http://www.pc.gov.au/ gsp/reports/rogs/2008/emergencymanagement, ABS Causes of Death, Australia, Cat. no. 3303.0 (unpublished), ABS Australian Demographic Statistics, Cat. no. 3101.0 (unpublished). National data 1992-1998 sourced from WaR). When Do Fatal Fires Occur? WA often experiences cooler and wetter months towards the end of winter and early spring and this has been particularly evident over recent years with many lower than average minimum temperatures (table 1). As the temperature drops during winter months, there is an increase by the community in the use of artificial heating methods to maintain a comfortable environment, particularly at night. This unfortunately provides the opportunity for structure fires to occur due to misuse or accidental displacement of heating appliances with 9 fatalities attributed to heating related fires since 2001.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 64yr.Av. 16.8 17.4 15.8 12.9 10.5 9 8.1 8 8.9 10.2 12.6 14.8 2006 16.8 17.2 15.8 10.4 8.9 6.3 6.9 8.9 9.3 11.1 14.6 15.7 2005 16 16.3 17.9 11.7 13.9 8.9 7.1 7.6 8.7 8.7 11.6 12.3 2004 17.6 18.3 14.4 13.1 9.5 10.6 6.9 7.3 7.4 10.4 13.4 15.3 2003 16.8 17.4 16.5 14.1 12.7 8.2 7.8 7.5 9.1 10.1 14.6 14.7 2002 16.4 16 14.8 13.5 10.9 9.3 9.1 6.7 8.3 10.3 12.4 17.1 2001 16.7 16.8 14.5 12.8 10.6 6.7 6.6 6.6 9.1 9.4 13.3 13.5

Table 1: 64 year and annual average minimum monthly temperatures for Perth, WA – (source: www.bom.gov.au). The highlighted months represent the occurrence of fatal fires caused by home heating methods, 2 occurring in August 2004 and a double fatality in June 2001.

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Although 35% of fatal fires occurred within the three month winter season, over the past six years 21% (7) have occurred during the month of August. Figure 3 shows the monthly trends of fatal fires peaking in August, the coldest average month that Perth experiences. While some anomalies do occur, these findings parallel similar results found in other Australian States and may provide support for further targeted community safety programs which highlight seasonal variations.

Figure 3 – Comparison of the number of fire fatalities recorded by month of the year. A larger percentage of fatal fires occur during the early hours of the morning. During the 12 hour period between 2000–0800 hours, 64% of the fatal fires occurred within the 6 year period and 62% in the 15 year period. Notwithstanding, fires causing death do occur throughout the day and early evening, often associated with extenuating circumstances including depression, the use of alcohol, prescription drugs and/or illegal drug abuse. The period between the hours of 0600 and 0900 have low occurrences of fatal fires which may be attributed to the population being alert after rest. During the time period 1000–1059, 3 of the 6 fatalities were found when the Fire Service attended a late call after the occupants were found by visiting family, friends or carers. Figure 4 illustrates the time of the day when the fire occurred. It must be noted that the fire time indicated represents the arrival of the fire crew and not necessarily the time the fire occurred. In some cases there is a delayed identification of a fire incident, particularly for smouldering fires or those in remote locations where detection is often delayed.

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Figure 4: Fatal fires occur throughout the day but there is an increased number during the early hours of the morning 0000–0400. (Note: The time of day that fires occur can be grouped in many ways with differing results but the division between day and night is usually accepted as an appropriate way to represent and identify any associated risks.) Further to the above analysis, figure 5 shows that the greatest percentage of fatal fires occur between the hours of midnight and 4.00am (33%), but do occur throughout the day. Although the identified double fatalities have affected the percentages, there would still be a disproportionate number of individual fatal fire events occurring within this time period. This result is different to the 2005 WaR report that shows the peak level of fatal fires occurred between the hours of 1600-2000.

Figure 5: Comparison of number of fatalities by time of day (4 hour divisions). (Note: The times listed are based on the arrival times of the Fire Service and not necessarily the time of fire).

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In comparing the 6 and 15 year trends against the timing of all structure fires, table 2 shows that structure fires occurring in the early hours of the morning double the probability of it being a fatal fire, whereas during the day there is a reduced possibility of a fire causing death. Fatal fires occurring in the evening follow a normal distribution with no significant change in risk.

Time 6 year 2001-2006 (%)

15 year 1992-2006 (%)

All Structure Fires (%)

00:00 – 05:59 39 46 20 06:00 – 17:59 32 35 55 18:00 – 23:59 29 19 25

Table 2: Percentage of when fatal fires occur compared to timing of all structure fires. Ignition Sources A major cause of structural fires throughout Australia is the misuse or displacement of home heating methods, particularly during the colder months. Fatal fires in WA that were attributed to heating appliances (21%) or open fires (6%), have primarily occurred in the bedroom or lounge room, 43% each (47% each over the 15 year study period). This high incidence can be explained as considerable time is spent in these artificially heated rooms during the colder winter months. The other major contributor is smoking. Of the 27% of fatal fires that have been caused by smoking (table 3), 75% (62.5% over the 15 year study period) have occurred in the bedroom whilst 25% (37.5% over the 15 year study period) occurred in the lounge room. The underlying reason for these high fatality rates appears to be due to the occupants falling asleep whist smoking, either in bed or in lounge room furniture. The 15% of fatal fires recorded as undetermined is an indication of the problems associated with identifying the cause of structure fires due to the extent of damage or where all the information leading up to ignition is not available. Although the area or room of origin may have been identified, the source of ignition unfortunately could not. These undetermined fires occurred 28% in the lounge room (37% over the 15 year study period) and 14% in the bedroom (19% over the 15 year study period).

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Figure 6: Ignition sources of fires that resulted in fatalities, 2001–2006. Comparison of ignition source datasets (table 3) shows that percentages are generally similar considering the low number of fatal fires that occur and are comparative to similar findings in other States. The reduction in candle related fires may be due to the ongoing awareness campaigns and media support or simply that burning candles is no longer as fashionable as it has been in the past. The colder than normal recent winters may have contributed to the large increase in heating appliance related fires as 5 of the 7 fatal fires that occurred during the month of August were attributed to the use of heating appliances (table 1). Unfortunately, cigarettes are still responsible for an excessive number of fire fatalities (27%) but also account for 6% of all structure fires. Additionally, all fatal fires that were caused by smoking occurred in either the bedroom or lounge room.

Ignition Sources 1991-2006

(%) 2001-2006

(%) All Structure

Fires (%) Candles, taper 10.3 3.0 5.9 Cigarette, cigar or tobacco 21.8 27.3 6.7 Cooking appliances 5.1 3.0 21.4 Electrical distribution and lighting* 2.6 15.2 20.2 Heating appliances 6.4 21.2 6.3 Lighter, matches 20.5 9.1 14.7 Open fire* 11.5 6.1 1.9 Other 3.8 0.0 7.4 Undetermined* 17.9 15.2 15.5

Table 3: Shows the comparison between the sources of ignition for fatal fires compared to that of all structure fires within WA. (WA Figures stated for All Structure Fires have been interpolated from AFAC Form of Heat codes 100-999, General Property Use 41, 42 or 43, Type of Call 110 – 119).

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Area of Origin The area or room of origin shows the majority of fatal fires commence in the bedroom or lounge room (40% and 33% respectfully, figure 7). This high occurrence of fatalities in the lounge room is most likely due to the occupants falling asleep in a lounge chair prior to the fire occurring. This theory is reinforced by the position and location of the body when located.

Figure 7: Chart showing the percentage of where fatal fires occurred within structures. Even working with small datasets, figure 8 demonstrates that the area of origin for fatal fires within structures is reasonably constant. This information may be able to be used effectively in the designing of life saving community safety initiatives in the future.

Figure 8: Comparison of the two study periods showing the similarities between the area of origin of the fatal fires.

0 5

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Perc

enta

ge

Comparison of Area of Origin (*denotes double fatalitiy)

1992-2006

2001-2006

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Although the kitchen may be the cause of many structure fires normally 21%, (table 4), the occurrence of fatal fires originating in the kitchen is considerably lower at 9%. Both the bedroom and lounge room show disproportionate percentages compared to all structure fires (table 4) so further promotion of smoke alarm installation within these areas is essential.

6 year 2001-2006 (% fatal)

15 year 1992-2006 (% fatal)

All Structure Fires (%)

Bedroom 39 44 20 Lounge 33 33 9 Kitchen 9 10 21 Other 19 13 50

Table 4: Comparison of the area of origin of normal structure fires compared to fatal fires in WA. Age and Gender of Victims Nationally, fire related fatalities comprise of 61% male and 39% female. The ratio of male to female fire fatalities is disproportionate compared to the wider population where the ratio of male to female is approximately equal. Although the overall ratio is similar it can change considerably with age i.e. there are over twice as many females than males in the 85+ age bracket (ABS). In both WA datasets the incidence of male fatality was over twice that of females, with similar results in both NSW and Queensland. This anomaly may be attributed to, among others, lifestyle or behavioural choices.

Figure 9 and 10: Show the proportion of male to female fatalities due to structural fire. 15 year dataset shows fatality rates similar to national trends. Although the ages of the victims of fatal fires are spread throughout all age brackets, when comparisons are made against the age demographics of the Western Australian population there is a disproportionate number of elderly citizens and infants killed in fires (figure 11). This trend is more clearly displayed in the 15 year dataset (figure 12). Unfortunately, children having access to matches or lighters are responsible for at least six of the fatalities of children under four years old. The peak that occurs for 25-29 and 65-69 year olds in both figures 11 and 12 are primarily male (figure 13).

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Figure 11: Comparison of percentages by population age groups displaying disproportionate groups involved in fatal fires.

Figure 12: Comparison of percentages by population age groups displaying disproportionate groups involved in fatal fires. (Note: This chart is missing information on five fatalities (6%) due to incomplete records).

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Both figure 11 and 12 show a drop in population numbers in the 25–29 age bracket, which aligns with the increases in fatalities caused by fire. Road crash statistics also show that this age group has a greater representation compared to others, particularly males (Road Deaths Australia 2006 Statistical Summary http://www.atsb.gov.au).

Figure 13: Gender of fire victims by age group. When analysing this graph it must be remembered that it does not compare percentages of population within the different age groups, particularly females due to their greater life expectancy. (Note: Unknown field due to incomplete information). Note: It must be remembered that although the above figures provide information on the age of fatal fire victims, it does not identify any mitigating circumstances eg maturity or mental alertness due to drugs, dementia, mental disorder etc. The 2001 Census states people aged over 75 represent only 5.8% of the population but comprise of 21.6% of those residents living alone. Females, due to their greater life expectancy, are twice as likely to be living alone in their later years. Additionally, approximately 14% of the population aged 65 and over are estimated to have mental health or behavioural issues (ABS). These factors may contribute to an increased risk of being involved in a fatal fire (table 5).

Age Proportion of WA Population % Proportion of Fire Fatalities % <15 19.3 19.2

15 – 64 67.4 35.9 65 - 74 6.7 11.5 75 - 84 4.7 14.0

>85 1.9 12.8 Table 5: Comparison of broad age groups against the percentage of population (15 year dataset) showing the greater level of fire fatalities for over 65 years of age.

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Smoke Alarm Protection Figure 14 shows of the structures that a fatal fire occurred in, at least 30% (10 dwellings) were fitted with smoke alarms of which 70% (7 alarms) operated as intended. The reasons that fatalities still occurred are varied and may include medication, immobility and/or recreational drug use.

Figure 14: Smoke alarm installation and operation in houses where fatal fires occurred during 2001-2006. (Note: Information on smoke alarm installation prior to 2001 is incomplete and has not been considered). FESA’s Flashpoll Survey 2008 estimated the percentage of smoke alarm installation within Western Australian homes in 2000 was 54% increasing to 84% in 2006. The difference in smoke alarm installation (i.e. only 30% of the fatal fire dwellings had smoke alarms fitted) may be due to rental accommodation, lower socio-economic areas or fire awareness due to language constraints given that in at least 15% of the fatalities English was not their first language (table 6). Although there have been no fatalities of Indigenous Australians identified in the 2001–2006 records, they contributed 11% of the fatalities in the 15 year dataset against their 3% population representation. The Flashpoll Survey also lists the location of installed smoke alarms as 72% in hallways, 31% in kitchens, 3% in dining rooms, approximately 25% in both bedrooms and lounge areas and 12% other areas. (Note: Some homes have multiple smoke alarms therefore adding up to >100%). The comparisons of these smoke alarm installations to the area of origin of fatal fires (table 4), which are similar in both the 6 year and 15 year datasets, further reinforce the need to continue to promote community fire safety initiatives to make the WA community aware of the potential tragic consequences of fire.

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Place of Birth / First Language No. of

Fatalities % of

Fatalities WA Population % Australia 12 36 68 English as first language 19 58 84 Language other than English 5 15 16 Unknown 9 27

Table 6: Place of birth/first language of people who have died in structural house fires in WA 2001–2006. (Note: The percentages for the period 1991–2006 show similar percentages for language groups 61%, 11% and 27% respectfully. The high number of unknown birth places is due to lack of available information). Due to the high number of unknown variables it is hard to postulate about language barriers or exposure to community safety initiatives, but consideration must also be given to the length of time spent in Australia and integration into the broader community of WA. Drugs and Alcohol Since 2001, there appear to be extenuating circumstances for nearly 2/3 (60%) of the victims of fire with the use of alcohol, prescription drugs and/or illegal drug abuse being involved. 42% of fatalities recorded high levels of alcohol (>0.05) and 48% showing drugs in their system (Table 7).

Table 7: Percentage of total fatalities during 2001-2006 that were affected by drugs, alcohol or both. Although people may be impacted by fire throughout the day or night, the 2001-2006 dataset shows that 12 fatalities occurred between the hours of 0800 and 2000, of which 11 were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol (Table 8). (n = 20) Time of Day 0000 - 0759 0800 -1959 2000 - 2359 Only Drugs 5% (n = 1) 10% (n = 2) Only Alcohol 10% (n = 2) 10% (n = 2) 10% (n = 2) Both Alcohol and Drugs 5% (n = 1) 35% (n = 7) 15% (n = 3)

TOTAL 20% (n = 4) 55% (n = 11) 25% (n = 5) Table 8: Time that drug or alcohol fatalities occurred during 2001-2006. Additionally, of the 4 fatalities that recorded cannabis in their system, only one had both prescription drugs and cannabis but all displayed very high levels of alcohol (0.16, 0.17, 0.19 and 0.25).

Note: Coroner’s reports indicate that some of the victims were receiving treatment for depression, which included prescribed medication and anecdotal evidence also shows that some had previously displayed suicidal tendencies.

Male (n=23) Female (n=10) TOTAL (n = 33) Only Drugs 22% (n = 5) 10% (n = 1) 18% (n = 6) Only Alcohol 17% (n = 4) 12% (n = 4) Both Alcohol and Drugs 26% (n = 6) 40% (n = 4) 30% (n = 10)

TOTAL 65% (n = 15) 50% (n = 5) 60% (n = 20)

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Summary Recent New Zealand research shows socially disadvantaged communities have a higher incidence of structure fires, fire related deaths or severe injury depending on a range of variables including education, income, occupation, living conditions and access to services (Identifying Communities Vulnerable to Structure Fires and Emergencies. Project Update No 1, July 2005). Future studies in Western Australia need to consider this research and the variables to enable emergency services to better target community risk treatment options and programmes. Future initiatives should concentrate on reducing socio-economic, isolation and mental health issues to assist with reducing fatalities within disadvantaged and special needs groups. Although complete records are not available, there is evidence that there is a disproportionate number of fatalities in Department of Housing and Works (DHW Homeswest) homes. Although there has been a reduction in fatalities in these homes through a comprehensive program of installation and maintenance of smoke alarms, fire fatalities are still occurring due to tampering with the alarms or external influences. It should be noted that FESA is undertaking further work with DHW on improving smoke alarm standards in DHW public accommodation. As WA’s population ages, community safety initiatives will also need to further target this at risk group through fostering partnerships with service providers and associated organisations to reduce the vulnerability of the aged to fire and other emergencies. Aged care assessment teams and social workers may provide the conduit required to assess residents and residences to facilitate the installation of appropriate equipment to assist independent living. Additionally, the collection of data to assist in the prevention of fire injury should also be developed in conjunction with both private and public health departments and hospitals as serious fire injury can be enormously debilitating to both the casualty and their families for a considerable time. An analysis of factors pre-disposing people to fire injury would require access to other hospital records that may have information on the activities leading to injury as well as matters such as attitudes and behaviours and capacity for self help. Due to the high number of fatalities occurring in bedrooms and lounge rooms, many by smoking, FESA’s smoke alarm community safety messages now promote the installation of hard wired, interconnected smoke alarms in all sleeping areas. Reduced fire risk (RFR) cigarettes, which will self extinguish when left unattended, are likely to be introduced nationally in 2010. This initiative will assist in reducing smoking related fire fatalities. Western Australia’s fatality rate in structure fires is considerably lower than the national average due to many factors which may include building construction methods, awareness campaigns, socio-economic demographics or availability of emergency services. Critical factors may change at any time so further enhancement of data collection should include mobilising times, socio-economic situation, areas of higher incident fatalities, accurate employment, race, language and nationality identification, length of time in Australia and fatalities occurring during wildfires and motor vehicle fires (see App. A).

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Appendix A

Cause of Fatality Number of Incidents Industrial accident 1 Burn-off/controlled burn 3 Falling tree during wildfire 1 Wildfire 3 Trapped in a vehicle during a wildfire 3 Gas leak explosion due to theft 1 Deliberate fire – unaware of occupant 2 Domestic accident during refuelling 1 Intoxicated and smoking in car 4 Suicide 4

Table 9: Fatalities that have occurred during fire events but not included in the study 1992-2006. (Note: only includes fatalities that have been incorrectly attached to fatal fire data).

SEX AGE CAUSE SOURCE MONTH TIME ORIGIN Male 90 undetermined possible lamp Jan 07 0008 Bed

Female 50 undetermined April 07 2056 Kitchen Male 11 undetermined April 07 2056 Kitchen Male 8 undetermined

no power - LPG cook appliances April 07 2056 Kitchen

Male 41 accidental cigarette April 07 0117 Lounge Male 48 accidental heater June 07 0142 Lounge Male 49 undetermined possible candle July 07 night Donga

Female 58 accidental smoking Aug 07 1949 Living Male 3 playing with matches Jan 08 2042 Bed Male 52 accidental stove/cooking Feb 08 2121 Kitchen Male 28 undetermined May 08 0303 Bed Male 23 undetermined Aug 08 0302 Living Male 3 playing with matches Oct 08 0709 Caravan

Female 2 playing with matches Oct 08 0709 Caravan Male 44 accidental Cooking Nov 08 Vehicle Male 61 undetermined possible smoking Nov 08 0118 Lounge Male ~50 undetermined maybe deliberate May 09 0400 Bed

Table 10: Summary of fatalities occurring in structure fires Jan 2007–June 2009.

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Building Fires 1417 1414 1379 1443 1370 1405 Special Structure Fires 455 388 397 451 478 406 Total 1872 1802 1776 1894 1848 1811

Table 11: Total number of structure fires in WA.

2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Per 100K 75.0 68.3 76.7 70.9 70.5

Table 12: Approximate number of accidental residential structure fires per 100,000 households (http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/reports/rogs/2008/emergencymanagement ROGs). (Note: This measure may not be entirely comparable as the rate of accidental residential structure fires is affected by the number of fires where the cause has been determined and classified by fire service personnel).

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Fatal Fires in Western Australia 2001-2006 Snapshot of data

• 33 fatalities during 30 incidents (three double fatalities) [78 over 15 years]

o 25 fatalities in metropolitan area, eight in regional WA

o 0.286 fatalities /100,000 population (National level is 0.633/100,000)

Decreasing over past 15 years

• Peak during the month of August

o 33% occur between midnight and 4 am – remainder evenly throughout the day

• 2:1 ratio of males to females

o Infants and elderly more susceptible with 25-30 and 40-45 year old males

showing higher than state demographics

• Fires originating in the bedroom and lounge room account for 73% of fatalities

• Heating methods account for 27%, smoking accounts for 27%, 15% undetermined

• 61% of properties did not have a smoke alarm

o 10 properties (30%) had smoke alarms of which seven operated as designed

• 60% of victims where effected by alcohol, medication and/or recreational drugs

15 year data set: • At least 13 were mobility impaired, used walking frame, invalid (16%) • At least 6 were found near an exit (7.5%) • At least 2 were hearing impaired (2.5%) • At least 16 were in DHW housing (20%) • At least 10 showed signs of depression or suicidal (13%)

Observations: o Often on antidepressant medication o Higher incidence in lower socio-economic areas o Disproportionate number of culturally and linguistically diverse people o Six year trend similar to 15 year trend o Many fatalities are probably not preventable

The Future: Future initiatives should concentrate on reducing socio-economic, isolation and mental health issues and fatalities during wildfires.

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References: Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) “Who’s at Risk Report”, May 2005 Australian Bureau of Statistics, State Summary Tables, www.abs.gov.au Bureau of Meteorology, www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables Report on Government Services www.pc.gov.au/gsp/reports/rogs/2008/emergencymanagement South Australia Safecom Identifying Communities Vulnerable to Structure Fires and Emergencies Project - Project Update 1, July 2005 South Australia Safecom Identifying Communities Vulnerable to Structure Fires and Emergencies Project - Project Update 3, August 2007

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References: Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) “Who’s at Risk Report”, May 2005 Australian Bureau of Statistics, State Summary Tables, www.abs.gov.au Bureau of Meteorology, www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables Report on Government Services www.pc.gov.au/gsp/reports/rogs/2008/emergencymanagement South Australia Safecom Identifying Communities Vulnerable to Structure Fires and Emergencies Project - Project Update 1, July 2005 South Australia Safecom Identifying Communities Vulnerable to Structure Fires and Emergencies Project - Project Update 3, August 2007