32 Iowans died in fires in 2010, state officials say

The State Fire Marshal's office attributed 146 lives to be saved in the past year because they were alerted to a fire in progress at their homes by a working smoke alarm.

“Our goal with counting lives saved was to focus on something positive. The words ‘fire' and ‘tragedy' are used together far too often,” said State Fire Marshal Ray Reynolds. 2010 was a year that saw 32 people die in fires in Iowa, he added.

Reynolds noted the following fire data for Iowa last year:

• Roughly 95 percent of the fires where lives were saved by smoke alarms occurred after 11 p.m. and before 6 a.m.
• A total of five Iowa children who lost their lives in a fire in 2010 (ages 3-17).
• Another five Iowans died outside of a residence (vehicles, machinery, or burning brush).
• A total of 27 fire deaths occurred at a residence (mostly single family homes).
• Overall, 21 fire deaths occurred in the fall and winter months (January, February, March, October, November, and December).
• October was the deadliest month in 2010 with 10 fire deaths.
• There were 345 people admitted to the University of Iowa Burn Unit with serious burns in 2010.