Alarming Trend in Deadly House Fires

Feb. 17, 2007 — -- Six children and a young woman died in a Pittsburgh area house fire early Saturday morning. Firefighters say they didn't have a chance. The home had a smoke alarm but it wasn't working.

"They had some heating problems," said Pennsylvania state trooper Brian Burden. "They were using multiple sources of heat in order to keep the residence warm."

The deaths are the latest in a disturbing trend. In just the last two weeks, at least 59 people have died in house fires across the country. In the first six weeks of 2007, at least 88 people have been killed in catastrophic multiple-fatality fires, with almost 60 percent of the victims being children.

"It's very alarming," said Alan Etter, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C., Fire and E.M.S. Department. "I can't recall a time in recent history where there have been so many fatalities so close together."

"We have got do something," said International Association of Fire Chiefs President Jim Harmes. "Our citizens now have more protection available for their homes than ever before, and yet people are losing their lives because they are not taking this protection seriously."

Firefighters admit they don't know why this is happening. They suspect the recent cold snap, coupled with power outages, has forced people to find other ways to warm themselves.

They warn you should never leave portable generators, space heaters, candles and cigarettes unattended. Also, you should make sure your chimney and furnace are properly maintained.

"I think people get a little complacent because they've heard the same message over and over again," said Etter. "You don't think it's going to happen to you. Well, it does happen to you. It happens to people just like us every single day."

Firefighters say your single most important investment is a working smoke detector. Before Washington, D.C. implemented a fire safety education program focused on the importance of smoke alarms, more than 70 people were dying in fires each year. That number has now dropped to less than 20.