Unintentional domestic injury from fire and flame in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Aim: To contribute to improved household fire safety in New Zealand through better understanding of factors associated with unintentional injury from fire and flame in domestic locations. Methods: Descriptive epidemiological analysis of collated data from New Zealand Fire Service, New Zealand Health Information Service and New Zealand Coroners' Courts. Key results: From 1991-1997 inclusive there were 184 deaths in 154 unintentional domestic fire incidents in Aotearoa New Zealand. From 1996-2000 inclusive there were 862 first admissions to hospitals in Aotearoa New Zealand for inpatient treatment of injury from fire and flame in a domestic location. The highest age-specific mortality rates were observed among seniors aged over 64 years and pre-school children. The highest age-specific rates of admission to hospital for inpatient treatment of injury from fire and flame at home were observed among pre-school children, young people and adults aged 15-24 and 25-34 years, and seniors aged over 74 years. There was a slight excess of male deaths compared with female deaths, which was most marked for children aged under 5 years. Gender disparities, with excess male rates of admission to hospital for inpatient treatment of injury from fire and flame were most evident among young people and adults aged 15-24 and 25-34 years. Mäori mortality rates were higher than nonMäori in all age groups, and this disparity was particularly marked among children. Mäori rates of admission to hospital for inpatient treatment of injury from fire and flame were higher than nonMäori rates, and this disparity was most marked for children and for adults aged 25-44 years. Small area analysis demonstrated a socio-economic gradient for fatal unintentional fire incidents with higher rates of fatal fire occurrence in households in relatively deprived census meshblocks. Narrative data provided a wealth of information about fatal unintentional domestic fire-related scenarios. Alcohol was associated with a high proportion of such fatal fire incidents, particularly in the 15-64 age group. Disruptions to usual routines and children playing in stationary motor vehicles are factors identified through use of narrative data that were not obvious in the statistical datasets. Conclusion: Improved household fire safety in New Zealand will require intervention programmes that operate at individual, household, community and national political levels. Community based fire safety programmes can have a significant impact at household level. Fire safety campaigns also need to recognise that households are not static entities, and include consideration of fire safety issues when away from home, and when having a party or guests in the home.