By FireRescue1 Staff
About three in five firefighters injured at the scene of a structure fire between 2003 and 2006 were battling one- and two-family home fires at the time, according to a report released Monday.
Of the estimated annual average of 40,270 firefighter fireground injuries in the United States between 2003 and 2006, an average of 29,710 were minor, and 10,560 were moderate or severe, according to the NFPA report.
The leading causes of moderate and severe injuries were slipping, falling or tripping — accounting for 29 percent of moderate and severe injuries.
Handling hose lines was the leading activity at the time of the injuries.
Strain or sprain was the most common injury, accounting for 34 percent of moderate and severe injuries, and 24 percent of minor injuries.
Thermal burns accounted for nine percent of moderate and severe injuries, and 11 percent of minor injuries.
The highest injury rates per 100 fires occurred in the midnight to 8:00 a.m. timeframe.
The report — “Patterns of Firefighter Fireground Injuries” — comes after the NFPA recently launched the Fire Sprinkler Initiative to encourage communities to mandate home fire sprinklers in one- and two-family homes to reduce firefighter injuries.
“Home sprinklers will reduce deaths and injuries among the men and women of the fire service who respond to these fires,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of communications.
According to NFPA, there are nearly 298,000 one- and two-family home fires each year.