Fires lead to tragedies that we must address
David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, November 23, 2003
The Numbers on Mattress flammability are sobering.
In 1998, the latest year for which figures are available, 410 Americans died in mattress and bedding fires. There were 18,900 such fires that year, causing 2,260 injuries. The property loss was $255.4 million.
Those figures are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is developing a national mattress flammability standard. They only present a snapshot of the problem. And the fact is, there is no way to know what the exact figures are.
That's because the figures in the CPSC report are clearly labeled as "national estimates." What is certain, in this hazy landscape of estimates, is that fire is a dangerous, deadly enemy.
What also is certain is that each fire death and injury is a tragedy. We should remember the victims of fires when we talk about mattress flammability issues. This is not just a dry marketing discussion. Thousands of people have died horrible deaths in bedroom fires. Thousands more have been scarred for life.
A Few Weeks ago, South Carolina Sen. Fritz Hollings introduced the American Home Fire Safety Act, which calls on CPSC to quickly establish fire safety standards for mattresses, upholstered furniture, bedding and candles.
Hollings said that, in 1998, residential fires killed 2,660 Americans and injured 15,260. Senior citizens over 70 and children under 5 are at the greatest risk of dying in a fire, he said.
"Companies have the technology right now to address fire safety in an economically responsible way," Hollings said. "The number of lives we lose now to home fires can be dramatically reduced by the standards in this legislation."
One of the bill's co-sponsors, Olympia Snowe, a Republican senator from Maine, put a face on the figures. She told of the death of volunteer firefighter Robert Jones, who suffered a heart attack while fighting a fire that killed young triplets, one of whom ignited a sofa-sleeper with a lighter.
"This is not just about the numbers, although they are staggering," Snowe said. "It is about the human tragedy."
Those are powerful points to keep in mind as we all work on improved fire safety for mattresses. We may disagree on the extent of the problem. We may quibble with the official figures. We may argue about whether new fire-resistant standards really will save lives. And we may say that legislation like the American Home Fire Safety Act isn't needed.
But at the end of the day, I hope we all will agree that reducing the tragedies caused by fires is a noble mission that requires our best efforts.
