AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING FATAL DWELLING FIRES INVOLVING THE ELDERLY DURING 1999-2009

摘要

Examination of real-fire data has indicated that the elderly are the age group at greatest risk ofbecoming a dwelling fire fatality; they accounted for almost one half of accidental dwelling firedeaths in Northern Ireland over the period 1999-2009. This paper presents an analysis of thecircumstances surrounding elderly dwelling fire fatalities gleaned from coronial reports. The fire riskto the elderly in the home was found to increase with age and was strongly influenced by age-relateddecline in health and mobility. The fire risk was frequently identified by members of the community,however, many felt it was inappropriate to intervene to negate the risk although there were someexamples of fatalities that occurred even where fire safety measures had been adopted. The mostconcerning result from this study is the minimal attention given to how elderly householders,especially those with poor mobility. would escape in the event of a fire.