Fire victims: who are they?

Every year some 1,400 people in the Netherlands are victims of a fire. In the period 1998-2001 5,200 people were injured and 300 killed in fires in the Netherlands.

Most victims are men

Two out of three fire victims are men. In the period 1998-2001 the number of male deaths rose after an initial fall. The ratio of men to women injured in fires remained fairly stable in this period.

Fire casualties, by age and sex, 1998-2001

Fire casualties

Nearly half of people killed in fires are men aged 15-60 years. Nearly one in five fatal victims is a women in the same age group. The share of children aged under 15 killed in fires is relatively small: of all fatal victims 2 percent are boys and 5 percent girls in this age group

Men in the age category 15-60 years also account for more than half of people injured in fires. Women in this age group account for nearly a quarter of victims injured in fires..

Fire victims in buildings

Seven out of ten die in house fires

Most fatal victims are killed in fires in buildings. Four out ten are killed in a house fire. Nearly one quarter of fatal victims are killed in outdoor fires, mainly in cars.

Nearly nine out of ten people injured in fires in buildings are injured in house fires. Half of those injured in outdoor fires are car fire casualties.

Location of victims

Where are victims found?

Many victims manage to escape from the fire. One in three are found outside the building concerned, nearly a quarter are located in the room where the fire started. One in seven victims suffered from immobility. About half of these victims are caught in their sleep, three out of ten are in state of reduced consciousness related to the use of alcohol or drugs.

Dick Boer